脂肪组织来源的基质细胞向神经元样细胞分化

目的：研究脂肪来源的基质细胞向神经元样细胞分化的可能性，为神经移植探索新的细胞来源。方法：采用β-巯基乙醇诱导脂肪来源的基质细胞向神经元样细胞分化，以免疫细胞化学方法对分化的和未分化的细胞进行鉴定。结果：从成年大鼠的脂肪组织中分离出基质细胞，在体外生长形态类似成纤维细胞，可以维持在未分化状态稳定增殖，体外扩增可超过10多代。β-巯基乙醇可诱导这种细胞向神经元样细胞分化，分化的细胞早期表达巢蛋白，后期则表达神经元的标志物——神经元特异性烯醇化酶和神经微丝，在最适合的诱导条件下约60％～85％的细胞表达这两种神经元的标志物。结论：脂肪组织中存在能分化为神经元样细胞的干细胞。

Adipose Tissue-derived Stromal Cells Differentiate into Neuron-like Cells

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the possibility of inducing adipose tissue-derived stromal cells to differentiate into neuron-like cells, and to explore a new cell source for central nervous system transplantation. METHODS: beta-mercaptoethanol was adopted to induce the cells to differentiate; undifferentiated cells and differentiated cells were identified with immunocytochemistry. RESULTS: A population of adipose tissue-derived stromal cells were isolated from adult rat adipose tissue; they were processed to obtain a fibroblast-like population of cells and could be maintained in vitro for extended periods with stable population doubling, and they were expanded as undifferentiated cells in culture for more than 10 passages, indicating their proliferative capacity. beta-mercaptoethanol induced the stem cells to express nestin, characteristic of neuronal precursor stem cells at early stage of differentiation, and at late stage they exhibited a neuronal phenotype, expressing neuron-specific enolase (NSE) and neurofilament(NF); with an optimal differentiation protocol, almost 60%-85% of the cells expressed NSE and NF. CONCLUSION: The data support the hypothesis that adult adipose tissue contains stem cells capable of differentiating into neurons.