Differentiation potential of adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells into germ cells with and without growth factors

This study aimed to culture the adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AT-MSCs) with and without leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and retinoic acid (RA), and investigate their impact on the differentiation of these cells into germ cells. MSCs were separated from adipose tissue of mice, and the nature of these cells is confirmed by flow cytometry. The cells were cultured in different conditions, including MSCs grown in the presence of the growth factors, MSCs without the growth factors, MSCs cultured with combined growth factors and RA, and MSCs cultured with RA. After 2 weeks, the gene expression of c-Kit, Gcnf, Mvh and Scp3 and the protein expression of c-Kit and Gcnf were assessed by real-time PCR and Western blot, respectively. Scp3 was overexpressed in the groups supplemented with RA (p < .01). The expression of c-Kit and Mvh in the growth factor-supplemented groups was increased (p < .01). Western blot analysis confirmed the real-time PCR results. The use of the growth factors for the long-term culture of stem cells can be beneficial. However, to promote germ cell differentiation, the growth factors might be used by other meiosis inducer factors, such as RA.