Abstract:

BACKGROUND: At present, antioxidant and cytokine method are used in the study of the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) into nerve cells in vitro, but the induced efficiency was low.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) in the differentiation of rabbit BMSCs into neural cells.
METHODS: Rabbits BMSCs were isolated and expanded in vitro, and the 4th generations were obtained for observation of cell morphology. After 24 hours of induction using 0.4 μmol/L ATRA, neuronal medium was used in the experimental group. At 4, 8, 16 and 24 hours following culture in the neuronal medium, immunohistochemistry was used to detect expressions of nestin, neuron specific enolase (NSE) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). RT-PCR was utilized to determine expression of nestin and NSE.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Following culture and subculture, BMSCs were adherent and fibroblast-like. Immunohistochemical method demonstrated that ATRA group was positive for nestin and NSE. Following induction, cell viability was good. RT-PCR results showed that ATRA group expressed nestin before and after induction. At 16 hours following induction, NSE exhibited significant amplification band, and became more obvious at 24 hours. These suggest that ATRA could promote the differentiation of rabbit BMSCs into neural cells in vitro.