摘要
BACKGROUND： It has been previously demonstrated that the neural cell microenvironment has the ability to induce differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells （BMSCs） into the neural cells. OBJECTIVE： To establish a co-culture system of human BMSCs and neural cells, and to observe effects of this co-culture system on differentiation of human BMSCs into neural cells. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A comparative observation experiment, performed at the Center Labora-tory of the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College Qingdao University from October 2006 to December 2007. MATERIALS： Neural cells were obtained from human fetal brain tissue. BMSCs were harvested from fe-male patients that underwent autonomous stem cell transplantation. METHODS： BMSCs in the co-culture group consisted of BMSCs and third passage neural cells. BMSCs in the control group were solely cultured in vitro. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Morphological changes of BMSCs were observed, and expression of the neuronal specific marker, neuron-specific enolase （NSE）, was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining after 4-5-day co-culture. RESULTS： The number of neural cells in the co-culture group increased and the cells spread on the culture bottle surface. Radial dendrite formed and connected with each other. NSE-immunoreactive cells were also detected. The positive ratio of NSE-positive cells reached （32.7±11.5）%, with morphological characteristics similar to neuronal cells. Human BMSCs did not express NSE in the control group. CONCLUSION： The microenvironment provided by neurons induced differentiation of BMSCs into neu-ronal-like cells.
BACKGROUND： It has been previously demonstrated that the neural cell microenvironment has the ability to induce differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells （BMSCs） into the neural cells. OBJECTIVE： To establish a co-culture system of human BMSCs and neural cells, and to observe effects of this co-culture system on differentiation of human BMSCs into neural cells. DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING： A comparative observation experiment, performed at the Center Labora-tory of the Affiliated Hospital of Medical College Qingdao University from October 2006 to December 2007. MATERIALS： Neural cells were obtained from human fetal brain tissue. BMSCs were harvested from fe-male patients that underwent autonomous stem cell transplantation. METHODS： BMSCs in the co-culture group consisted of BMSCs and third passage neural cells. BMSCs in the control group were solely cultured in vitro. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Morphological changes of BMSCs were observed, and expression of the neuronal specific marker, neuron-specific enolase （NSE）, was analyzed by immunofluorescence staining after 4-5-day co-culture. RESULTS： The number of neural cells in the co-culture group increased and the cells spread on the culture bottle surface. Radial dendrite formed and connected with each other. NSE-immunoreactive cells were also detected. The positive ratio of NSE-positive cells reached （32.7±11.5）%, with morphological characteristics similar to neuronal cells. Human BMSCs did not express NSE in the control group. CONCLUSION： The microenvironment provided by neurons induced differentiation of BMSCs into neu-ronal-like cells.
