Biochemical properties of norepinephrine as a kind of neurotransmitter secreted by bone marrow-derived neural stem cells induced and differentiated in vitro

BACKGROUND： It has been proved by many experimental studies from the aspects of morphology and immunocytochemistry in recent years that bone marrow stromal cells （BMSCs） can in vitro induce and differentiate into the cells possessing the properties of nerve cells. But the functions of BMSCs-derived neural stem cells（NSCs） and the differentiated neuron-like cells are still unclear. OBJECTIVE： To observe whether bone marrow-derived NSCs can secrete norepinephrine （NE） under the condition of in vitro culture, induce and differentiation, and analyze the biochemical properties of BMSCs-derived NSCs. DESIGN： A non-randomized and controlled experimental observation SETTING ： Institute of Neuromedicine of Chinese PLA, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University MATERIALS： This experiment was carried out in the Institute of Neuromedicine of Chinese PLA, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University. The bone marrow used in the experiment was collected from 1.5- month-old healthy New Zealand white rabbits. METHODS： This experiment was carried out in the Institute of Neuromedicine of Chinese PLA, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University. The bone marrow used in the experiment was collected from 1.5 month-old healthy New Zealand white rabbits. BMSCs of rabbits were isolated and performed in vitro culture, induce and differentiation with culture medium of NSCs and differentiation-inducing factor, then identified with immunocytochemical method. Experimental grouping： ①Negative control group： L-02 hepatic cell and RPMI1640 culture medium were used. ② Background culture group： Only culture medium of NSCs as culture solution was added into BMSCs to perform culture, and 0.1 volume fraction of imported fetal bovine serum was supplemented 72 hours later. ③Differentiation inducing factor group： After culture for 72 hours, retinoic acid and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factors were added in the culture medium of BMSCs and NSCs as corresponding inducing factors. The level of NE in each group was detected on the day of culture and 5, 7, 14 and 20 days after culture with high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）. The procedure was conducted 3 times in each group.Standard working curve was made according to the corresponding relationship of NE concentration and peak area. The concentration of NE every 1×10^7 cells was calculated according to standard curve and cell counting. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES ： The level of NE of cultured cells was detected with HPLC; immunocytochemistrical identification of Nestin and neuron specific nuclear protein was performed. RESULTS： ① On the 14^th day after cell culture, BMSCs turned into magnus and round cells which presented Nestin-positive antigen, then changed into neuron-like cells with long processus and presented neuron specific nuclear protein -positive antigen at the 20^th day following culture. ② The ratio of NE concentration and peak area has good linear relationship, and regression equation was Y=1.168 36＋0.000 272 8X,r=-0.998 4. Coefficient variation （CV） was 〈 5% and the recovery rate was 92.39%（ Y referred to concentration and X was peak area）.③NE was well detached within 10 minutes under the condition of this experiment. ④ NE was detected in NSCs and their culture mediums, which were cultured for 7, 14 and 20 days respectively, but no NE in BMSCs, NSCs-free culture medium and L-02 hepatic cell which were as negative control under the HPLC examination. Analysis of variance showed that the level of NE gradually increased following the elongation of culture time （P 〈 0.01 ）. No significant difference in the level of NE existed at the same time between differentiation inducing factor group and basic culture group（P 〉 0.05）. CONCLUSION ： BMSCs of rabbits can proliferate in vitro and express Nestin antigen; They can differentiate into neuron-like cells, express specific neucleoprotein of mature neurons, synthesize and secrete NE as a kind of neurotransmitter.

THE DIFFERENTIATION OF HUMAN GASTRIC ADENOCAR-CINOMA CELL LINE MGc80-3 INDUCED BY DIBUTYRYL cAMP IN VITRO

For providing some experimental basis in establishing malignant phenotypic reversed indexes of gastric carcinoma cells, human gastric adenocar-cinoma cell line MGc80-3 was induced by dBcAMP in vitro to appraise the effect of gastric carcinoma cell differentiation by chemical inducers.Under light microscope, MGc80-3 cells, after treated with 1 mM dBcAMP, tended to be flat and disperse, and their volume gradually enlarged, with their uncleus relatively smaller and their shape rather regular. Morphological changes, like norma differentiated epithelial cells, were observed. The cells attached firmly, grew slowly, their growth curve showed inhibitory rate amounted to 52.87%, and cellular division exponent displayed their peak value 1.5 times less than that of MGc80-3 cells. It was clear that dBcAMP could effectively inhibit the multiplication activity of MGc80-3 cells. After dBcAMP treatment, remarkable changes of cell surface charges was indicated by cell electrophoresis, the ratio dropped to 3.043 from 3.988, and their re-tardant ratio reached up to 31.2%. cAMP content in cells after this treatment, detected by cAMP and cGMP radioimmunoassay, was enhanced by 2.42 times, and cAMP/cGMP ratio, by 1.73 times. Thus, cAMP level within MGc80-3 cells was raised obviously by dBcAMP. Heterotransplantation experiments showed that tuntorigenic rate of MGc80-5 cells (transplanted subcutaneously to BALB/c mice) amounted to 100%, and that of the cells after this treatment was only 5.6%. Their tumorigenic ability was extremely reduced.These results confirmed that dBcAMP was able to change malignant phenotypic characteristics of MGc80-3 cells and produce a reversed alteration: Thus, it has a remarkable inductive effect in differentiating gastric carcinoma cells. All these characteristics were also considered as the reference indexes in appraising reversed effect for the homologous cancer cells.

Human induced pluripotent stem cell based in vitro models of the blood-brain barrier： the future standard？

There is an urgent and tremendous need for human dis- ease models in drug development in order to improve pre- clinical predictability. In the case of brain disorders drugs have to cross the blood-brain barrier （BBB） to enter the central nervous system （CNS）. It was estimated that more than 95% of the drugs cannot cross the BBB.

Oocyte-like cells induced from CD34-positive mouse hair follicle stem cells in vitro

Adult stem cells have been identified in a variety of mammalian organs including skin, hair follicles, pancreas, and bone marrow （Kruse et al., 2004）. These stem cells reside in a specific cellular environment where they remain in an undifferentiated state （Theise, 2006）. In addition, they are generally considered to be mul- tipotent, possessing the capacity to generate multiple cell types within the tissue, and thus play an important role in tissue mainte- nance and regeneration.