BACKGROUND: Up to date, most of the animal experiments about stem cells research on the otology use the stem cells of other animal species for the guinea pig model, however, the research of guinea pig-derived stem cells is rarely reported.
OBJECTIVE: To explore the differentiated potential of the guinea pig adipose mesenchymal stem cells into osteoblasts, adipocyte, nerve cells, and the application possibility for experimental study of otology.
METHODS: Guinea pigs adipose tissue was isolated and cultured to the 3rd generation. Absorbance values of cell proliferation from 1 to 10 days were detected and the immunophenotype of the cells were detected by flow cytometry. Differentiation of osteoblast, adipocyte and nerve cells were verified.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The growth curve of adipose mesenchymal cell proliferation is similar to S-shaped, the first 3 days was the incubation period after passage and the cell populations entered logarithmic growth phase from the 4th day, after the 8th day they entered into the platform period. The rejection rate of trypan blue staining was 94%-98%, the total cells was amplified by about 3 600 times from primary to passage 5, The expression rate of cells of the immune phenotype CD29 was 86.3%, CD44 was 55.5% and CD45 was 0.4%. After differentiation of osteoblast, specific staining demonstrated the formation of mineralized nodules. After differentiation of adipocyte, lipid droplets could be seen in cytoplasm by oil red O staining. After differentiation of nerve cells, cells morphology was similar to neural cells and the results of Nestin, GFAP, NF200 staining were positive. Guinea pig adipose mesenchymal stem cells was easy to isolate, culture and amplification in vitro. They have the “stem” characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells, and they were ideal stem cells for experimental studies of otology.