Astrocyte‐derived interleukin‐6 promotes specific neuronal differentiation of neural progenitor cells from adult hippocampus

The purpose of this study was to investigate the ability of astrocyte‐derived factors to influence neural progenitor cell differentiation. We previously demonstrated that rat adult hippocampal progenitor cells (AHPCs) immunoreactive for the neuronal marker class III β‐tubulin (TUJ1) were significantly increased in the presence of astrocyte‐derived soluble factors under noncontact coculture conditions. Using whole‐cell patch‐clamp analysis, we observed that the cocultured AHPCs displayed two prominent voltage‐gated conductances, tetraethyl ammonium (TEA)‐sensitive outward currents and fast transient inward currents. The outward and inward current densities of the cocultured AHPCs were approximately 2.5‐fold and 1.7‐fold greater, respectively, than those of cells cultured alone. These results suggest that astrocyte‐derived soluble factors induce neuronal commitment of AHPCs. To investigate further the activity of a candidate neurogenic factor on AHPC differentiation, we cultured AHPCs in the presence or absence of purified rat recombinant interleukin‐6 (IL‐6). We also confirmed that the astrocytes used in this study produced IL‐6 by ELISA and RT‐qPCR. When AHPCs were cultured with IL‐6 for 6–7 days, the TUJ1‐immunoreactive AHPCs and the average length of TUJ1‐immunoreactive neurites were significantly increased compared with the cells cultured without IL‐6. Moreover, IL‐6 increased the inward current density to an extent comparable to that of coculture with astrocytes, with no significant differences in theoutward current density, apparent resting potential, or cell capacitance. These results suggest that astrocyte‐derived IL‐6 may facilitate AHPC neuronal differentiation. Our findings have important implications for understanding injury‐induced neurogenesis and developing cell‐based therapeutic strategies using neural progenitors. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.