Bone marrow stem cells are derived from mesoblast stem cells. It is also a multipotent adult stem cells that reside in the bone marrow microenvironment
[1, 14- 16]. More and more researches show that bone marrow derived stem cells from mice, rat and humans have the ability to cross lineage boundaries and form functional components of other tissues, expressing tissue specific proteins in organs such as the heart, liver, brain, skeletal muscle and vascular endothelium
[2-3]. Therefore, it is nowadays well known as a “seed cells”.
Recent studies have shown that BMSCs can differentiate into neuron cells and astrocytes in proper condition whether
in vivo[17] or
in vitro[18]. Results from this study showed that BMSCs can differentiate into neuron cells and astrocytes, according to a previously published study
[19], while here we use hippocampal neuron conditional medium, different with them is they use cerebral cortex neuron conditional medium. There are also some reports about ratinca acid
[ 20], mercaptoethand
[7, 21] can induce BMSCs differentiation into neurons and glial cells
in vitro. Most of the inducing factor is serum-free medium
[22], so here we use serum-free medium as control compared with conditional medium.
As the evaluation of BMSCs, there are still no specific criteria for evaluation, most common method is either positive method or negative method, which show CD29, CD44, CD105, CD166 positive reaction[23], while CD34 , CD14 show negative reaction[22], and all of this results is not the BMSCs specific characteristic. Up to date methods of isolation and culture way can be satisfied with these criteria[24], also can be used in transplantation[25]. Therefore, we used this method to get BMSCs in our observation.
The present study demonstrated that conditional medium induction of the positive ratio of MAPII was highest; NSE-positive cells were higher than GFAP, and it was showed the same results as Zhou’s study
[19]. Western blot showed the same results that MAPII induced by conditional medium; the expression was higher than any of them; NSE and GFAP had no difference in protein expression. From this, we can get information: BMSCs can differentiate into neuron-like and astrocyte-like cells both, and the ratio of neurons is higher than glia cells. It was different with Roe’s research
[26]; they all showed that
in vitro most of BMSCs differentiate into astrocytes, only a few can differentiate into neurons. It can give the future for neuron tissue transplantation, as we all know, most of central nerve system trauma with neuron tissue loss, even in neurodegenerative disease and peripheral nervous system injury
[27]. Most recent BMSC transplantation into neuron tissue showed it can differentiate into astrocytes, no too many neuron existance
[26]. There are studies concerning human BMSCs inducing into neurons and astroytes, also they have certain gene expression
[28].
In conclusion, BMSCs differentiated into neurons and astrocytes to bring a hopeful future for the treatment of the central and peripheral nervous system transplantation, whether to rehabilitative tissue or clinical using, and it is still needed to be futher investigated.
BMSCs can differentiate into neuron-like cells and astrocyte-like cells inducing by different media; neuron-like cells are more than astrocyte-like cells, compared with other media; rat hippocampal conditional medium have a higher efficiency in inducing BMSCs differentiation into neuron-like and astrocyte-like cells.
