VEGF-mediated angiogenesis stimulates neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation in the premature brain

This study investigated the effects of angiogenesis on the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells in the premature brain. We observed the changes in neurogenesis that followed the stimulation and inhibition of angiogenesis by altering vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in a 3-day-old rat model. VEGF expression was overexpressed by adenovirus transfection and down-regulated by siRNA interference. Using immunofluorescence assays, Western blot analysis, and real-time PCR methods, we observed angiogenesis and the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells. Immunofluorescence assays showed that the number of vWF-positive areas peaked at day 7, and they were highest in the VEGF up-regulation group and lowest in the VEGF down-regulation group at every time point. The number of neural stem cells, neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes in the subventricular zone gradually increased over time in the VEGF up-regulation group. Among the three groups, the number of these cells was highest in the VEGF up-regulation group and lowest in the VEGF down-regulation group at the same time point. Western blot analysis and real-time PCR confirmed these results. These data suggest that angiogenesis may stimulate the proliferation of neural stem cells and differentiation into neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes in the premature brain.     

Ox‐LDL modifies the behaviour of bone marrow stem cells and impairs their endothelial differentiation via inhibition of Akt phosphorylation

This study was to investigate the effect of oxidized low‐density lipoprotein (ox‐LDL) on the behaviour of bone marrow stem cells and their endothelial differentiation as well as the underlying mechanisms. Adult rat bone marrow multipotent progenitor cells (MAPCs) were incubated with ox‐LDL for up to 2 weeks. Ox‐LDL treatment resulted in a time‐ and dose‐dependent reduction of MAPC population in culture through a combination of decreased cell proliferation and increased apoptosis. The expression of stem cell marker Oct‐4 was significantly suppressed in MAPCs by ox‐LDL in a dose‐ and time‐dependant manner. Endothelial differentiation of MAPCs was substantially inhibited by ox‐LDL with markedly decreased expression of endothelial markers vWF, Flk‐1 and CD31, as well as impaired in vitro vascular structure formation. Ox‐LDL‐induced apoptosis and inhibition of Oct‐4 expression, cell proliferation and endothelial differentiation of MAPCs were associated with significant inhibition of Akt phosphorylation. Akt overexpression in MAPCs transfected with a constitutively active Akt completely reversed the effects of ox‐LDL on MAPCs including enhanced apoptosis, decreased cell proliferation, suppressed Oct‐4 expression and endothelial differentiation as well as in vitro vascular structure formation. In conclusion, ox‐LDL promotes apoptosis and inhibits Oct‐4 expression and self‐renewal of MAPCs, and impairs their endothelial differentiation via suppression of Akt signalling.     

Comparison of murine dental follicle precursor and retinal progenitor cells after neural differentiation in vitro

Human dental stem or precursor cells can differentiate into multiple cell types like adipocytes, osteoblasts or chondrocytes. Recently, a number of different human dental stem cell lines were differentiated into neurons. This makes dental stem cells interesting as possible cell-based therapeutics for neural degenerative diseases. To test this hypothesis, we have investigated the neural differentiation potential of murine dental follicle precursor cells (mDFPCs). The mDFPC cell line was newly established without cell immortalization. After differentiation, neural cell marker expression in mDFPCs was checked and compared with that of murine retinal progenitor cells (mRPCs). Differentiated mDFPCs became neuron-like cells with small cell bodies and long/branching neurites, similar to differentiated mRPCs. However, mRPCs showed more complete neural differentiation. Furthermore, 5% of the differentiated mDFPCs and 37% of the differentiated mRPCs were positive for the glia cell marker GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein). The data presents new evidence of neural differentiation of mDFPCs, but only a small percentage of mDFPCs differentiated into glia cells, unlike mRPCs.     

神经干细胞巢成分及调节机制的研究进展

神经干细胞（NSCs）是一类具有自我更新和多向分化潜能的细胞。在特定的条件下能够分化成神经元、星形胶质细胞和少突胶质细胞,从而参与神经发生和损伤修复。调节NSCs的特定微环境,通常称为神经干细胞巢,包括多个细胞群,其贡献目前正在积极探索。了解NSCs及其微环境成分之间的相互作用,对于开发治疗神经退行性疾病及脊髓损伤的疗法至关重要。本篇综述描述并讨论了最新的研究,确定了新的成分在神经干细胞巢中的作用。这些发现给这个领域带来了新的概念。本综述评估这些最新进展,提高对NSCs微环境及其对NSCs功能的影响的认识。     

人胚胎干细胞定向分化为神经前体细胞

采用单层贴壁分化的方法在无血清条件下诱导同源饲养层培养的人胚胎干细胞定向分化,得到了高比例的神经前体细胞(97.5±0.83)%(P<0.05)。这些神经前体细胞具有分化为神经元、星形胶质细胞和少突胶质细胞的能力。在长期的传代培养中发现,随着培养时间的延长,nestin阳性的神经前体细胞比例下降,同时发育能力也发生了变化。在传代培养的早期,神经前体细胞发育为神经元的比例很高,几乎没有胶质细胞分化出来。随着培养时间的延长,胶质细胞的比例逐渐上升。这与体内神经系统的发育过程非常相似。进一步研究发现具有bHLH(basic helix-loop-helix)结构域的转录因子neurogenein2(Ngn2)和Olig2可能在这一变化中起重要作用。因此,人胚胎干细胞来源的神经前体细胞能够模拟体内神经发育的模式,为在体外研究人的神经发育和再生医学奠定了基础。     

Stem cells with multilineage potential derived from porcine skin

Stem cells from farm animals are valuable cell models for the study of development, differentiation, and are potential efficient donors for nuclear transfer. Here we report the isolation and characterization of stem cells from porcine skin. These porcine skin-originated sphere (PSOS) cells expressed the neural progenitor marker, nestin, as well as genes that are critical for pluripotency such as Oct4 and Stat3. The PSOS cells proliferated actively in vitro and retained normal karyotype after long-term culture. When cultured in defined medium, they generated cells with characteristics of neurons and astrocytes. A subpopulation of cells differentiated into adipocyte-like cells when cultured in 10% fetal bovine serum. Clonal study demonstrated that PSOS exhibited clonal-generating capability. Clonal populations from individual stem cells could form neuron-, astrocyte-, and adipocyte-like cells upon inducted differentiation. Our findings represent the first report of skin-originated stem cells isolated from non-rodent animals.     

TRIM32-dependent transcription in adult neural progenitor cells regulates neuronal differentiation

In the adult mammalian brain, neural stem cells in the subventricular zone continuously generate new neurons for the olfactory bulb. Cell fate commitment in these adult neural stem cells is regulated by cell fate-determining proteins. Here, we show that the cell fate-determinant TRIM32 is upregulated during differentiation of adult neural stem cells into olfactory bulb neurons. We further demonstrate that TRIM32 is necessary for the correct induction of neuronal differentiation in these cells. In the absence of TRIM32, neuroblasts differentiate slower and show gene expression profiles that are characteristic of immature cells. Interestingly, TRIM32 deficiency induces more neural progenitor cell proliferation and less cell death. Both effects accumulate in an overproduction of adult-generated olfactory bulb neurons of TRIM32 knockout mice. These results highlight the function of the cell fate-determinant TRIM32 for a balanced activity of the adult neurogenesis process.     

体外神经干细胞克隆球的超微结构-透射电镜观察

为观察培养的神经干细胞克隆球内部的超微结构特征,采用无血清培养技术,在体外进行小鼠纹状体神经干细胞克隆球的培养传代,经过免疫细胞化学鉴定后,对单一的神经干细胞克隆球进行固定,常规透射电镜观察。结果表明,神经干细胞可以在bFGF等生长因子存在的情况下,在无血清培养液内增殖生成悬浮状态的神经干细胞克隆球,这种克隆可被诱导生成神经细胞和神经胶质细胞,电镜下,神经干细胞克隆球内部细胞相互间可形成特化的膜性结构,细胞内可有小泡出现,部分细胞有凋亡的形态。     

Nitric oxide acts in a positive feedback loop with BDNF to regulate neural progenitor cell proliferation and differentiation in the mammalian brain

Nitric oxide (NO) is believed to act as an intercellular signal that regulates synaptic plasticity in mature neurons. We now report that NO also regulates the proliferation and differentiation of mouse brain neural progenitor cells (NPCs). Treatment of dissociated mouse cortical neuroepithelial cluster cell cultures with the NO synthase inhibitor L-NAME or the NO scavenger hemoglobin increased cell proliferation and decreased differentiation of the NPCs into neurons, whereas the NO donor sodium nitroprusside inhibited NPC proliferation and increased neuronal differentiation. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) reduced NPC proliferation and increased the expression of neuronal NO synthase (nNOS) in differentiating neurons. The stimulatory effect of BDNF on neuronal differentation of NPC was blocked by L-NAME and hemoglobin, suggesting that NO produced by the latter cells inhibited proliferation and induced neuronal differentiation of neighboring NPCs. A similar role for NO in regulating the switch of neural stem cells from proliferation to differentiation in the adult brain is suggested by data showing that NO synthase inhibition enhances NPC proliferation and inhibits neuronal differentiation in the subventricular zone of adult mice. These findings identify NO as a paracrine messenger stimulated by neurotrophin signaling in newly generated neurons to control the proliferation and differentiation of NPC, a novel mechanism for the regulation of developmental and adult neurogenesis.     

Transplantation of adult neural progenitor cells transfected with vascular endothelial growth factor rescues grafted cells in the rat brain

Growth factors are currently evaluated as therapeutics in stroke and neurodegeneration. Besides direct neurotrophic effects, they promote proliferation, survival, and differentiation of both transplanted and endogenous neural precursor cells (NPCs). In the current study, we investigated whether NPCs expressing Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor VEGF-A165 are a useful vehicle for growth factor delivery after transplantation into the caudate putamen of the rat brain. We found an increased survival of adenovirally transfected NPCs after 11 days, but not after 24 hours or 4 days. Additional brain immunohistochemistry revealed increased expression of the endothelial cell marker PECAM-1 (CD31) after 24 hours, 4 day, and 11 days after transplantation. In conclusion, we show that the graft itself is a useful vehicle for growth factor delivery, promoting the survival of NPCs. Moreover, transplantation of VEGF-expressing NPCs supports angiogenesis in the brain, which may contribute to potential brain repair.     

人胎儿脊髓神经干细胞的分离培养

本文旨在探讨是否能够从低温保存的流产儿分离培养出脊髓神经干细胞。将14周流产儿在4℃下保存,2、6和12h后取脊髓,将颈段、胸段、腰骶段分别进行无血清培养,并用胎牛血清诱导分化。用克隆培养的方法验证培养细胞的干细胞特性;用免疫荧光细胞化学的方法检测神经干细胞标志nestin及干细胞诱导分化后神经元标志MAP2、星形胶质细胞标志GFAP、胆碱能标志ChAT,并比较不同时间点以及不同部位分离的神经T细胞的差异。在各个时间点,从颈段、胸段、腰骶段脊髓均分离培养出具有连续增殖能力的神经球,其中腰骶段分离出的神经球数量最多,12h组各段分离出的神经球较2、6h组显著减少。各段培养中的神经球均为nestin阳性,诱导分化后均能够产生GFAP阳性星形胶质细胞、MAP2阳性神经元以及ChAT阳性胆碱能神经元。各段培养中的神经干细胞的克隆形成能力相似。以上结果表明,从低温保存的人胎儿能够分离培养出脊髓神经干细胞,这为基础研究以及未来治疗应用提供了新的细胞来源。     

Stage-specific changes in gene expression in acutely isolated mouse CNS progenitor cells

Neural progenitor cells can be derived from a variety of developmental stages when they are preferentially proliferating, undergoing neurogenesis or undergoing gliogenesis. We used FACS sorting and the LeX surface marker to enrich neural progenitor cells from different embryonic stages and adult and compared their gene expression profiles using Affymetrix Microarrays. Our results show that, while there are common genes expressed in the progenitor cell population from all stages, there are also significant differences in gene expression patterns that correlate with stage-related behaviors. These data indicate that progenitor cells change during development and that adult and embryonic neural progenitor cells are intrinsically different.     

室管膜下区神经干细胞与神经发生的研究进展

室管膜下区(subventricular zone,SVZ)存在着神经干细胞(nueral stem cells,NSCs),是成年哺乳动物脑内重要的神经发生区域。神经发生过程极为复杂,包括一系列的生物学事件。在病理状态下,SVZ区的细胞增殖,新生的神经细胞迁移到病灶处,取代或修复受损的细胞,起到保护脑组织的作用。该文就SVZ区的神经干细胞、神经发生过程及病理状态下神经发生的相关研究做一综述。     

Effect of neurotrophic factors on neuronal stem cell death

Neural cell survival is an essential concern in the aging brain and many diseases of the central nervous system. Neural transplantation of the stem cells are already applied to clinical trials for many degenerative neurological diseases, including Huntington\'s disease, Parkinson\'s disease, and strokes. A critical problem of the neural transplantation is how to reduce their apoptosis and improve cell survival. Neurotrophic factors generally contribute as extrinsic cues to promote cell survival of specific neurons in the developing mammalian brains, but the survival factor for neural stem cell is poorly defined. To understand the mechanism controlling stem cell death and improve cell survival of the transplanted stem cells, we investigated the effect of plausible neurotrophic factors on stem cell survival. The neural stem cell, HiB5, when treated with PDGF prior to transplantation, survived better than cells without PDGF. The resulting survival rate was two fold for four weeks and up to three fold for twelve weeks. When transplanted into dorsal hippocampus, they migrated along hippocampal alveus and integrated into pyramidal cell layers and dentate granule cell layers in an inside out sequence, which is perhaps the endogenous pathway that is similar to that in embryonic neurogenesis. Promotion of the long term-survival and differentiation of the transplanted neural precursors by PDGF may facilitate regeneration in the aging adult brain and probably in the injury sites of the brain.     

神经营养因子与神经干细胞

生长因子在神经干细胞的增殖,分化和存活过程中有重要作用。神经营养因子是其中的一类,它包括神经生长因子（NGF）家族,胶质源性神经营养因子（GDNF）家族和其它神经营养因子。NGF家族包括NGF,BDNF,NT－3,NT－4／5和NT－6。这一家族可促进epidermic growth facter(EGF)反应 海马及前脑室管膜下区神经干细胞的存活和分化。GDNF家族包括GDNF,NTN,PSP和ART。GDNF家族促神经发育的作用主要在外周,它促进肠神经嵴前体细胞的存活和增殖,且对外周感觉神经的发育至关重要。其它生长因子如bFGF和EGF,它们能促进神经干细胞增殖和存活;CNTF和LIF等在神经干细胞的分化中也有重要作用。     

The neural stem cell niche

The neural stem cell niche defines a zone in which stem cells are retained after embryonic development for the production of new cells of the nervous system. This continual supply of new neurons and glia then provides the postnatal and adult brain with an added capacity for cellular plasticity, albeit one that is restricted to a few specific zones within the brain. Critical to the maintenance of the stem cell niche are microenvironmental cues and cell-cell interactions that act to balance stem cell quiescence with proliferation and to direct neurogenesis versus gliogenesis lineage decisions. Ultimately, based on the location of the niche, stem cells of the adult brain support regeneration in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and the olfactory bulb through neuron replacement. Here, we provide a summary of the current understanding of the organization and control mechanisms of the neural stem cell niche.     

Mesenchymal stem cells regulate the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells through Notch signaling

The effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on proliferation and cell fate determination of neural stem cells (NSCs) have been investigated. NSCs were co-cultured with MSCs or NIH3T3 cells using an in vitro transwell system. After 4 days, immunofluorescence staining showed that the number of cells positive for the cell proliferation antigen, ki-67, in neurospheres in MSCs was greater than in NIH3T3 cells. In some experiments, the top-layers of MSCs and NIH3T3 cells were removed to induce NSCs differentiation. Seven days after initiating differentiation, the levels of the neuronal marker, NSE, were higher in NSCs in MSCs co-culture group, and those of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) were lower, compared with NIH3T3 cells co-culture group. These were confirmed by immunofluorescence. The role of the Notch signaling pathway analyzed with the specific inhibitor, DAPT, and by examining the expression of Notch-related genes using RT-PCR showed that after co-culturing with MSCs for 24 h, NSCs expressed much higher levels of ki-67, Notch1, and Hes1 than did NSCs co-cultured with NIH3T3 cells. Treatment with DAPT decreased ki-67, Notch1 and Hes1 expression in NCSs, and increased Mash1 expression. The data indicate that the interactions between MSCs and NSCs promote NSCs proliferation and are involved in specifying neuronal fate, mediated in part by Notch signaling.