Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Schwann cells are seed cells of nerve tissue engineering, but they grow slowly in vitro, and can not satisfy the need of scientific research and clinical application. Pyrroloquinoline quinine (PQQ) can promote proliferation of some kinds of cells.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of PQQ on Schwann cells proliferation and Sox10 expression.

METHODS: Schwann cells were cultured and purified in vitro. The purity of Schwann cells was identified by immunofluorescence of S-100. After serum-free culture for 12 hours, 10 nmol/L PQQ was added into cultured Schwann cells, and the morphological changes were detected under PQQ treated. Different concentrations of PQQ (0, 1, 10, 100, 1 000, 10 000 nmol/L) were added into culture medium for 24 hours, then the expression of Sox10 mRNA was detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: PQQ could affect the morphology of Schwann cells, showing bundle-shaped and side by side growing, and promote Schwann cell proliferation. 1-1 000 nmol/L PQQ could up-regulate the expression of Sox10 mRNA on cultured Schwann cells; the maximal effect occurred on 100 nmol/L PQQ; 10 000 nmol/L PQQ exhibited the depressed effect on expression of Sox10 on cultured Schwann cells (P < 0.05).