Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2025, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (23): 4931-4938.doi: 10.12307/2025.513

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Heme oxygenase 1 promotes differentiation of neural stem cells into neurons under oxidative stress condition

Yu Qinghe1, Cai Ziming2, Tian He3, Li Pian4, Ruan Ye4, Liang Jinzhu2, Lin Shuhui1, Lin Wenping1   

  1. 1Department of Spine Surgery, 3Department of Gynaecology, Shenzhen Pingle Orthopedic Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518118, Guangdong Province, China; 2Shenzhen Pingle Orthopedic Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518118, Guangdong Province, China; 4Third School of Clinical Medicine, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong Province, China
  • Received:2024-04-19 Accepted:2024-06-24 Online:2025-08-18 Published:2024-09-29
  • Contact: Lin Wenping, MD, Chief physician, Doctoral supervisor, Department of Spine Surgery, Shenzhen Pingle Orthopedic Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518118, Guangdong Province, China
  • About author:Yu Qinghe, Master, Physician, Department of Spine Surgery, Shenzhen Pingle Orthopedic Hospital Affiliated to Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Shenzhen 518118, Guangdong Province, China
  • Supported by:
    National Natural Science Foundation of China (General Program), No. 81771323 (to LWP); Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, No. 2021A1515010722 (to LWP); Natural Science Foundation of Shenzhen Municipality, No. JCYJ20190813112401660 (to LWP)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Studies have shown that upregulation of heme oxygenase-1 expression enhances cellular antioxidant and anti-apoptotic abilities. However, the effects of upregulating heme oxygenase-1 expression on the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells under oxidative stress conditions remain unclear. 
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the influence of heme oxygenase-1 overexpression on the survival and differentiation capacity of neural stem cells under oxidative stress conditions. 
METHODS: (1) Mouse primary neural stem cells were isolated and cultured from newborn Balb/c mice. Immunofluorescence was used to detect the neural stem cell marker Nestin. (2) Lentivirus was used to infect neural stem cells to induce heme oxygenase-1 overexpression. Flow cytometry was used to assess green fluorescent protein fluorescence. Western blot assay was performed to detect the expression levels of heme oxygenase-1. (3) H2O2 was added to the lentivirus-infected neural stem cell culture medium to simulate the oxidative stress microenvironment after spinal cord injury. Effects of heme oxygenase-1 overexpression on neural stem cell proliferation and apoptosis levels were analyzed using cell proliferation assay kits, cell apoptosis assay kits, and TUNEL staining kits. (4) The levels of lipid oxidation markers malondialdehyde, catalase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase were detected using assay kits. (5) Flow cytometry was used to measure intracellular reactive oxygen species levels, and neural stem cell differentiation into astrocytes and neurons. (6) The effect of heme oxygenase-1 overexpression on neuronal axon growth during neural stem cell differentiation was observed under optical and fluorescence microscopes. 
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Mouse neural stem cells exhibited stable morphology, good growth status, and high expression of Nestin as detected by immunofluorescence. (2) Western blot analysis showed that the overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 in the overexpression group was significantly higher than that in the empty carrier control group. Flow cytometry was used to detect the expression of green fluorescent protein in the neural stem cells of the heme oxygenase-1 overexpression group and empty vector control group. (3) Overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 maintained the proliferative activity of neural stem cells and significantly reduced the number of apoptotic cells under oxidative stress conditions. (4) Overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 inhibited lipid peroxidation of neural stem cells under oxidative stress microenvironment, enhanced the expression of enzymes related to maintaining the oxidative-reductive balance, and significantly reduced intracellular reactive oxygen species levels. (5) Overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 promoted the differentiation of neural stem cells into neurons and reduced differentiation into astrocytes. (6) The heme oxygenase-1 overexpression group exhibited longer axons, and more intercellular connections. The above results indicate that overexpression of heme oxygenase-1 can alleviate oxidative damage of H2O2-induced neural stem cells, reduce neural stem cell apoptosis, promote proliferation, and facilitate differentiation of neural stem cells into neurons.

Key words: heme oxygenase-1, neural stem cell, oxidative stress, spinal cord injury, neuron, apoptosis, axon

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