Differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells into neuronal cells on fetal bovine acellular dermal matrix as a tissue engineered nerve scaffold

The purpose of this study was to assess fetal bovine acellular dermal matrix as a scaffold for supporting the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into neural cells following induction with neural differentiation medium.We performed long-term,continuous observation of cell morphology,growth,differentiation,and neuronal development using several microscopy techniques in conjunction with immunohistochemistry.We examined specific neuronal proteins and Nissl bodies involved in the differentiation process in order to determine the neuronal differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.The results show that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells that differentiate on fetal bovine acellular dermal matrix display neuronal morphology with unipolar and bi/multipolar neurite elongations that express neuronal-specific proteins,including βIII tubulin.The bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells grown on fetal bovine acellular dermal matrix and induced for long periods of time with neural differentiation medium differentiated into a multilayered neural network-like structure with long nerve fibers that was composed of several parallel microfibers and neuronal cells,forming a complete neural circuit with dendrite-dendrite to axon-dendrite to dendrite-axon synapses.In addition,growth cones with filopodia were observed using scanning electron microscopy.Paraffin sectioning showed differentiated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells with the typical features of neuronal phenotype,such as a large,round nucleus and a cytoplasm full of Nissl bodies.The data suggest that the biological scaffold fetal bovine acellular dermal matrix is capable of supporting human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell differentiation into functional neurons and the subsequent formation of tissue engineered nerve.     

Intravenous transplantation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells promotes neural regeneration after traumatic brain injury

To investigate the supplement of lost nerve cells in rats with traumatic brain injury by intravenous administration of allogenic bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, this study established a Wistar rat model of traumatic brain injury by weight drop impact acceleration method and administered 3 × 106 rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells via the lateral tail vein. At 14 days after cell transplantation, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells differentiated into neurons and astrocytes in injured rat cerebral cortex and rat neurological function was improved significantly. These findings suggest that intravenously administered bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells can promote nerve cell regeneration in injured cerebral cortex, which supplement the lost nerve cells.     

Transplantation of neurotrophin-3-transfected bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells for the repair of spinal cord injury

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation has been shown to be therapeutic in the repair of spinal cord injury. However, the low survival rate of transplanted bone marrow mesen- chymal stem cells in vivo remains a problem. Neurotrophin-3 promotes motor neuron survival and it is hypothesized that its transfection can enhance the therapeutic effect. We show that in vitro transfection of neurotrophin-3 gene increases the number of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the region of spinal cord injury. These results indicate that neurotrophin-3 can promote the survival of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells transplanted into the region of spinal cord injury and potentially enhance the therapeutic effect in the repair of spinal cord injury.     

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells repair spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury by promoting axonal growth and anti-autophagy

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells can differentiate into neurons and astrocytes after trans- plantation in the spinal cord of rats with ischemia/reperfusion injury. Although bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells are known to protect against spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury through anti-apoptotic effects, the precise mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were cultured and proliferated, then transplanted into rats with ischemia/reperfusion injury via retro-orbital injection. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence with subsequent quantification revealed that the expression of the axonal regeneration marker, growth associated protein-43, and the neuronal marker, microtubule-as- sociated protein 2, significantly increased in rats with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation compared with those in rats with spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury. Fur- thermore, the expression of the autophagy marker, microtubule-associated protein light chain 3B, and Beclin 1, was significantly reduced in rats with the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation compared with those in rats with spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury. Western blot analysis showed that the expression of growth associated protein-43 and neuro- filament-H increased but light chain 3B and Beclin 1 decreased in rats with the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation. Our results therefore suggest that bone marrow mes- enchymal stem cell transplantation promotes neurite growth and regeneration and prevents autophagy. These responses may likely be mechanisms underlying the protective effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells against spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion injury.     

大鼠骨髓间充质干细胞体外增殖与多向分化的能力

背景：生理条件下机体内多数骨髓间充质干细胞增殖并不明显,然而在一定刺激下可表现出旺盛的有丝分裂活动,具有很强的增殖倍增能力,且体外实验表明其具有多向分化潜能。 目的：进一步验证体外分离培养的大鼠骨髓间充质干细胞生长增殖与多向分化潜能。 方法：全骨髓法体外分离培养大鼠骨髓间充质干细胞,贴壁筛选法进行纯化,倒置相差显微镜下观察细胞形态及生长特征,MTT法绘制细胞生长曲线,免疫组化法对细胞表面干细胞标志CD44进行鉴定。取传至第4代细胞,分别用成骨、成软骨、成脂肪和成神经诱导剂予以培养,通过碱性磷酸酶染色、Ⅱ型胶原免疫组化染色、油红O染色、NeuN抗体免疫组化染色进行分化能力鉴定。 结果与结论：分离培养的细胞呈长梭形或多边形,细胞生长曲线呈S形,群体倍增时间约为31 h,免疫细胞化学染色后CD44呈阳性表达,CD34呈阴性。第4代骨髓间充质干细胞成骨诱导2周后出现钙盐沉积,成软骨诱导培养2周后Ⅱ型胶原检测呈阳性,成脂肪诱导培养2周后在细胞的胞浆内充满大量红色脂肪滴,成神经诱导6 h后细胞出现突起,类似神经元的轴突和树突纤维,NeuN免疫组化染色呈阳性。表明体外培养的大鼠骨髓间充质干细胞生长增殖能力旺盛,可向成骨细胞、软骨细胞、脂肪细胞、神经元样细胞方向分化。     

Gender difference in the neuroprotective effect of rat bone marrow mesenchymal cells against hypoxia-induced apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells can reduce retinal ganglion cell death and effectively prevent vision loss. Previously, we found that during differentiation, female rhesus monkey bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells acquire a higher neurogenic potential compared with male rhesus monkey bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. This suggests that female bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells have a stron-ger neuroprotective effect than male bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Here, we ifrst isolated and cultured bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells from female and male rats by density gradient centrifugation. Retinal tissue from newborn rats was prepared by enzymatic digestion to obtain primary retinal ganglion cells. Using the transwell system, retinal ganglion cells were co-cultured with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells under hypoxia. Cell apoptosis was detected by lfow cytometry and caspase-3 activity assay. We found a marked increase in apoptotic rate and caspase-3 activity of retinal ganglion cells after 24 hours of hypoxia compared with normoxia. Moreover, apoptotic rate and caspase-3 activity of retinal ganglion cells signiifcantly decreased with both female and male bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell co-culture under hypoxia compared with culture alone, with more signiifcant effects from female bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Our results indicate that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells exert a neuroprotective effect against hypoxia-induced apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells, and also that female cells have greater neuroprotective ability compared with male cells.     

Lipopolysaccharide-activated microglial-induced neuroglial cell differentiation in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells☆

BACKGROUND： Microglia are very sensitive to environmental changes, often becoming activated by pathological conditions. Activated microglia can exert a dual role in injury and repair in various diseases of the central nervous system, including cerebral ischemia, Parkinson＇s disease, and Alzheimer＇s disease. OBJECTIVE： An immortal microglial cell line, BV2, was treated with varying concentrations of lipopolysaccharide （LPS） to induce a pathological situation. Supernatant was harvested and incubated with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells and, concomitantly, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell differentiation was observed. DESIGN： A controlled observation, in vitro experiment. SETTING： Department of Neurology, First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University. MATERIALS： Five male 2-3-week-old Sprague Dawley rats were purchased from Animal Laboratory Center of China Medical University and included in this study. The protocol was performed in accordance with ethical guidelines for the use and care of animals. The microglial cell line BV2 was produced by Cell Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Sciences. LPS was produced by Sigma Company, USA. METHODS： This study was performed in the Central Laboratory of China Medical University from September 2006 to March 2007. Rat femoral and tibial bone marrow was collected for separation and primary culture of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell cultures were divided into 5 groups： control group, non-activated group, as well as low-, medium-, and high-dose LPS groups. In the control group, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were cultured with Dulbecco＇s modified Eagle＇s medium （DMEM） supplemented with fetal bovine serum （volume fraction 0. 1）. In the non-activated group, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were incubated with non-activated BV2 supernatant. In the low-, medium-, and high-dose LPS groups, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were incubated with LPS （0.01,0.1 and 1 μg/L, respectively）-act     

富血小板纤维蛋白诱导骨髓间充质干细胞向成骨样细胞和神经细胞分化

将骨髓间充质干细胞置于富血小板纤维蛋白环境下培养14 d,结果发现,富血小板纤维蛋白可以明显促进骨髓间充质干细胞的增殖,Runt相关转录因子2和骨形态发生蛋白2 mRNA表达均呈剂量依赖性升高,神经元特异性烯醇化酶和神经胶质酸性蛋白含量也升高。结果表明,富血小板纤维蛋白呈剂量依赖性促进骨髓间充质干细胞增殖并分化为成骨样细胞及神经细胞。     

660 nm red light-enhanced bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for hypoxic-ischemic brain damage treatment

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation is an effective treatment for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain damage. However, the in vivo transplantation effects are poor and their survival, colonization and differentiation efficiencies are relatively low. Red or near-infrared light from 600–1,000 nm promotes cellular migration and prevents apoptosis. Thus, we hypothesized that the combination of red light with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation would be effective for the treatment of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage. In this study, the migration and colonization of cultured bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on primary neurons after oxygen-glucose deprivation were detected using Transwell assay. The results showed that, after a 40-hour irradiation under red light-emitting diodes at 660 nm and 60 mW/cm2, an increasing number of green fluorescence-labeled bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells migrated towards hypoxic-ischemic damaged primary neurons. Meanwhile, neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage were given an intraperitoneal injection of 1 × 106 bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, followed by irradiation under red light-emitting diodes at 660 nm and 60 mW/cm2 for 7 successive days. Shuttle box test results showed that, after phototherapy and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation, the active avoidance response rate of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage rats was significantly increased, which was higher than that after bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell transplantation alone. Experimental findings indicate that 660 nm red light emitting diode irradiation promotes the migration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, thereby enhancing the contribution of cell transplantation in the treatment of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage.     

细胞密度与骨髓间充质干细胞向神经元样细胞的分化

景：细胞种植密度是影响干细胞分化的因素之一,对于细胞种植密度在骨髓间充质干细胞向神经元样细胞分化过程中的作用尚缺乏深入研究。 目的：观察细胞种植密度对骨髓间充质干细胞诱导向神经元样细胞分化的影响。 方法：采用贴壁培养法分离大鼠骨髓间充质干细胞,传至第4代后将其按2×102,2×103,4×103,8×103,2×104,4×104/cm2种植于六孔板,每组均加入碱性成纤维细胞生长因子+表皮生长因子+维甲酸诱导向神经元样细胞分化,并通过免疫组织化学染色鉴定,计算每组细胞出现神经元样细胞的比例,比较各组的分化率。 结果与结论：各组骨髓间充质干细胞加入诱导剂后均出现神经元样细胞,Nestin、NSE、GFAP细胞化学染色呈阳性。不同种植密度组出现神经元样细胞比例不同,以8×103/cm2组神经元样细胞比例最高,且神经元样存活时间最长,达7 d。结果说明骨髓间充质干细胞向神经元样细胞分化与细胞接种密度有关,过高或过低细胞密度均不利分化。     

Micro RNA-9 promotes the neuronal differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells by activating autophagy

Micro RNA-9(mi R-9) has been shown to promote the differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells into neuronal cells, but the precise mechanism is unclear. Our previous study confirmed that increased autophagic activity improved the efficiency of neuronal differentiation in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Accumulating evidence reveals that mi RNAs adjust the autophagic pathways. This study used mi R-9-1 lentiviral vector and mi R-9-1 inhibitor to modulate the expression level of mi R-9. Autophagic activity and neuronal differentiation were measured by the number of light chain-3(LC3)-positive dots, the ratio of LC3-II/LC3, and the expression levels of the neuronal markers enolase and microtubule-associated protein 2. Results showed that LC3-positive dots, the ratio of LC3-II/LC3, and expression of neuron specific enolase and microtubule-associated protein 2 increased in the mi R-9+ group. The above results suggest that autophagic activity increased and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were prone to differentiate into neuronal cells when mi R-9 was overexpressed, demonstrating that mi R-9 can promote neuronal differentiation by increasing autophagic activity.     

Mitogen activated protein kinase signaling pathways participate in the active principle region of Buyang Huanwu decoction-induced differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Our preliminary studies confirmed that an active principle region of Buyang Huanwu decoction, comprising alkaloid, polysaccharide, aglycon, glucoside and volatile oil, can induce bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell differentiation into neurons. Mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling was identified as one of the key pathways underlying this differentiation process. The present study shows phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase and phosphorylated p38 protein expression was increased after differentiation. Cellular signaling pathway blocking agents, PD98059 and SB203580, inhibited extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase and p38 in mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways respectively. mRNA and protein expression of the neuronal marker, neuron specific enolase, and neural stem cell marker, nestin, were decreased in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells after treatment with the active principle region of Buyang Huanwu decoction. Experimental findings indicate that, extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase and p38 in mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathways participate in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell differentiation into neuron-like cells, induced by the active principle region of Buyang Huanwu decoction.     

Overexpression of microRNA-124 promotes the neuronal differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells

microRNAs(miRNAs) play an important regulatory role in the self-renewal and differentiation of stem cells. In this study, we examined the effects of miRNA-124(miR-124) overexpression in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. In particular, we focused on the effect of overexpression on the differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells into neurons. First, we used GeneChip technology to analyze the expression of miRNAs in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, neural stem cells and neurons. miR-124 expression was substantially reduced in bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells compared with the other cell types. We constructed a lentiviral vector overexpressing miR-124 and transfected it into bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Intracellular expression levels of the neuronal early markers β-III tubulin and microtubule-associated protein-2 were significantly increased, and apoptosis induced by oxygen and glucose deprivation was reduced in transfected cells. After miR-124-transfected bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells were transplanted into the injured rat spinal cord, a large number of cells positive for the neuronal marker neurofilament-200 were observed in the transplanted region. The Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan locomotion scores showed that the motor function of the hind limb of rats with spinal cord injury was substantially improved. These results suggest that miR-124 plays an important role in the differentiation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells into neurons. Our findings should facilitate the development of novel strategies for enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell transplantation for spinal cord injury.     

Factors affecting directional migration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to the injured spinal cord

Microtubule-associated protein 1B plays an important role in axon guidance and neuronal migration. In the present study, we sought to discover the mechanisms underlying microtu- bule-associated protein 1B mediation of axon guidance and neuronal migration. We exposed bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells to okadaic acid or N-acetyl-D-erythro-sphingosine （an inhibitor and stimulator, respectively, of protein phosphatase 2A） for 24 hours. The expression of the phosphorylated form of type I microtubule-associated protein 1B in the cells was greater after exposure to okadaic acid and lower after N-acetyl-D-erythro-sphingosine. We then injected the bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells through the ear vein into rabbit models of spinal cord contusion. The migration of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells towards the injured spinal cord was poorer in cells exposed to okadaic acid- and N-acetyl-D-erythro-sphingosine than in non-treated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Finally, we blocked phosphatidylinosi- tol 3-kinase （PI3K） and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 （ERK1/2） pathways in rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells using the inhibitors LY294002 and U0126, respectively. LY294002 resulted in an elevated expression of phosphorylated type I microtubule-associated protein 1B, whereas U0126 caused a reduction in expression. The present data indicate that PI3K and ERKI/2 in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells modulate the phosphorylation of micro- tubule-associated protein 1B via a cross-signaling network, and affect the migratory efficiency of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells towards injured spinal cord.     

Combining acellular nerve allografis with brain- derived neurotrophic factor transfected bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells restores sciatic nerve injury better than either intervention alone

In this study, we chemically extracted acellular nerve allografts from bilateral sciatic nerves, and repaired 10-mm sciatic nerve defects in rats using these grafts and brain-derived neurotrophic factor transfected bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Experiments were performed in three groups： the acellular nerve allograft bridging group, acellular nerve allograft ＋ bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells group, and the acellular nerve allograft ＋ brain-derived neurotrophic factor transfected bone marrow mesenchyrnal stem cells group. Results showed that at 8 weeks after bridging, sciatic functional index, triceps wet weight recovery rate, myelin thickness, and number of myelinated nerve fibers were significantly changed in the three groups. Variations were the largest in the acellular nerve allograft ＋ brain-derived neurotrophic factor transfected bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells group compared with the other two groups. Experimental findings suggest that chemically extracted acellular nerve allograft combined nerve factor and mesenchymal stem cells can promote the restoration of sciatic nerve defects. The repair effect seen is better than the single application of acellular nerve allograft or acellular nerve allograft combined mesenchymal stem cell transplantation.     

Dorsal root ganglion neurons promote proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Preliminary animal experiments have confirmed that sensory nerve fibers promote osteoblast differentiation, but motor nerve fibers have no promotion effect. Whether sensory neurons promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells remains unclear. No results at the cellular level have been reported. In this study, dorsal root ganglion neurons(sensory neurons) from Sprague-Dawley fetal rats were co-cultured with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells transfected with green fluorescent protein 3 weeks after osteogenic differentiation in vitro, while osteoblasts derived from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells served as the control group. The rat dorsal root ganglion neurons promoted the proliferation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-derived osteoblasts at 3 and 5 days of co-culture, as observed by fluorescence microscopy. The levels of m RNAs for osteogenic differentiation-related factors(including alkaline phosphatase, osteocalcin, osteopontin and bone morphogenetic protein 2) in the co-culture group were higher than those in the control group, as detected by real-time quantitative PCR. Our findings indicate that dorsal root ganglion neurons promote the proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, which provides a theoretical basis for in vitro experiments aimed at constructing tissue-engineered bone.     

Therapeutic effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on cold stress induced changes in the hippocampus of rats

The present study aims to evaluate the effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on cold stress induced neuronal changes in hippocampal CA1 region of Wistar rats. Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were isolated from a 6-week-old Wistar rat. Bone marrow from adult femora and tibia was collected and mesenchymal stem cells were cultured in minimal essential medium containing 10% heat-inactivated fetal bovine serum and were sub-cultured. Passage 3 cells were analyzed by flow cytometry for positive expression of CD44 and CD90 and negative expression of CD45. Once CD44 and CD90 positive expression was achieved, the cells were cultured again to 90% confluence for later experiments. Twenty-four rats aged 8 weeks old were randomly and evenly divided into normal control, cold water swim stress(cold stress), cold stress + PBS(intravenous infusion), and cold stress + bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(1 × 106; intravenous infusion) groups. The total period of study was 60 days which included 1 month stress period followed by 1 month treatment. Behavioral functional test was performed during the entire study period. After treatment, rats were sacrificed for histological studies. Treatment with bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells significantly increased the number of neuronal cells in hippocampal CA1 region. Adult bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells injected by intravenous administration show potential therapeutic effects in cognitive decline associated with stress-related lesions.     

Thrombospondin 1 promotes synaptic formation in bone marrow-derived neuron-like cells

In this study, a combination of growth factors was used to induce bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells differentiation into neuron-like cells, in a broader attempt to observe the role of thrombospondin 1 in synapse formation. Results showed that there was no significant difference in the differentiation rate of neuron-like cells between bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells with thrombospondin induction and those without. However, the cell shape was more complex and the neurites were dendritic, with unipolar, bipolar or multipolar morphologies, after induction with thrombospondin 1. The induced cells were similar in morphology to normal neurites. Immunohistochemical staining showed that the number of positive cells for postsynaptic density protein 95 and synaptophysin 1 protein was significantly increased after induction with thrombospondin 1. These findings indicate that thrombospondin 1 promotes synapse formation in neuron-like cells that are differentiated from bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells.     

骨髓间充质干细胞干预大鼠C6胶质瘤的试验研究

目的 探讨骨髓间充质干细胞(BMSCs)干预对大鼠脑胶质瘤C6细胞分化的影响及其相关机制.方法 采用Transwell小室共培养骨髓间充质干细胞及C6细胞,并以细胞计数法对C6细胞增值水平进行检测,以流式细胞术对C6细胞的细胞周期进行检测;以免疫荧光对波形蛋白(vimentin)的表达情况进行检测,以免疫组化法对胶质纤...