人胎胰腺巢蛋白阳性细胞的分离培养及其生物学特性研究

胰腺巢蛋白（nestin)阳性细胞是近年发现的与胰腺发育密切相关的一种多能干细胞。我们对人胎胰腺中的nestin^ 细胞进行了分离和体外培养,并对其生物学特性进行了研究。结果表明：（1）胎胰nestin^ 细胞表达高水平ABCG2／BCRP1,并在形态和生长方式上均不同于导管上皮细胞;（2）Nestin^ 细胞在体外可自发形成类胰岛细胞团（ICC,islet-like cell clusters);(3)ICC中的nestin^ 细胞具有多向分化潜能,可表达多种细胞特异抗原,经体外诱导可产生少量胰岛素阳性的类β细胞。     

人胎胰巢蛋白阳性细胞的异种体内移植研究

人胎胰巢蛋白阳性(nestin~+)细胞在体外培养中可自发形成类胰岛细胞团(islet-1ike cell cluster,ICC),有多向分化潜能,并可产生分泌胰岛素的类β细胞。为了验证其体内生物学特性和生理功能,我们进行了诱导后ICC的NOD-Scid糖尿病模型小鼠和正常小鼠肾膜下移植,通过免疫细胞化学检测,超微结构观察以及血糖水平监测等手段考察移植后细胞的形态与功能变化情况,结果表明:(1)移植处有明显的血管增生。(2)ICC可使糖尿病模型小鼠血糖明显降低。(3)ICC在正常小鼠体内分化为多种结构,同时继续增殖侵入肾实质。     

人胎胰巢蛋白阳性细胞的异种体内移植研究

人胎胰巢蛋白阳性(nestin^ )细胞在体外培养中可自发形成类胰岛细胞团(islet-like cell cluster,ICC),有多向分化潜能,并可产生分泌胰岛素的类β细胞。为了验证其体内生物学特性和生理功能,我们进行了诱导后ICC的NOD—Scid糖尿病模型小鼠和正常小鼠肾膜下移植,通过免疫细胞化学检测,超微结构观察以及血糖水平监测等手段考察移植后细胞的形态与功能变化情况,结果表明：(1)移植处有明显的血管增生。(2)ICC可使糖尿病模型小鼠血糖明显降低。(3)ICC在正常小鼠体内分化为多种结构,同时继续增殖侵入肾实质。     

成人胰腺导管干细胞的体外分离、纯化、培养及鉴定

目的:建立人胰腺导管干细胞的体外分离、纯化、培养及鉴定的方法.方法:胶原酶分次消化剪切的人胰腺组织,经过Ficoll密度梯度离心后去除胰岛组织,培养于含,10%胎牛血清的CMRL1066培养液中,7-10天可行成单层细胞,用0.25%胰酶-EDTA消化并传代培养.取2-3代细胞利用免疫荧光染色和RT-PCR方法检测CK19、Pdx-1、Nestin、Insulin及Glucagon的表达.结果:经过胶原酶消化、Ficoll密度梯度离心及后续的培养,去除了胰岛组织及外分泌腺,可获得较纯化的鹅卵石样的胰腺导管细胞.免疫荧光结果示:胰腺导管细胞CK19、Pdx-1和Nestin染色呈阳性,阳性细胞率分别为(87.5±6.2)%、(77.5±8.6)%和(50.9±9.5)%,而Insulin染色为阴性.RT-PCR结果显示该细胞表达CK19、Pdx-1和Nestin基因,而未观察到Insulin及Glueagon基因的表达.结论:该方法可较好的分离纯化出人胰腺导管细胞,经鉴定获得细胞具有胰腺干细胞的特性.     

饥饿及雨蛙素诱导的AR42J 细胞中自噬基因LC3及beclin-1 表达的变化

目的:观察饥饿及雨蛙素诱导的大鼠胰腺腺泡细胞AR42J中自噬基因LC3及beclin-1表达的变化,初步探讨吞噬(autophagy)在急性胰腺炎中的作用。方法:选择体外培养的生长状态良好的大鼠胰腺腺泡AR42J细胞,随机分为3组,饥饿组(N=10),雨蛙素处理组(N=10),空白对照组(N=10)。饥饿组加入充足的平衡盐溶液,雨蛙素处理组加入含10-7mol/L雨蛙素的全营养培养液,空白对照组加入含20%灭活胎牛血清的F12-K培养液(p H7.2-7.4),各组分别于处理后2、4、6 h收集细胞并提取蛋白质。采用免疫印迹法检测三组不同时点胰腺腺泡细胞AR42J中自噬基因Beclin-1和LC3的蛋白表达。结果:空白对照组不同时点beclin-1和LC3-II均呈低表达,且各时点比较差异无统计学意义(P<0.05)。饥饿组和雨蛙素处理组beclin-1和LC3-II的表达随处理时间的延长逐渐增加,且不同时点beclin-1和LC3-II的表达均较空白对照组显著增高,差异均具统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:雨蛙素和饥饿刺激可导致大鼠胰腺腺泡细胞AR42J中LC3-II及beclin-1蛋白表达随作用时间的延长而增加,自噬可能参与了胰腺炎的发生发展过程。     

利用谱系追踪方法探究Lgr5在胰腺组织及其类器官中的表达

富含亮氨酸重复序列G蛋白偶联受体5 (leucine-rich repeat containing G protein-coupled receptor 5, Lgr5)在体内分布广泛,可以作为多种上皮组织(包括小肠、结肠、胃和毛囊)中干细胞的标记物。为了探究小鼠(Mus musculus)胰腺发育过程中导管上皮细胞及体外培养的胰腺导管类器官中Lgr5的表达情况,本研究利用Lgr5-Cre^ERT2+/–和Rosa26-mTmG杂交后的转基因小鼠,经Tamoxifen(他莫昔芬)诱导后,观察不同发育阶段胰腺组织切片的荧光表达情况,并通过三维培养建立成体小鼠胰腺导管类器官,观察诱导后类器官细胞中的荧光变化。结果显示：Tamoxifen诱导的正常成体转基因小鼠胰腺导管内未检测到表达Lgr5的细胞;通过对孕鼠及哺乳母鼠注射Tamoxifen,在胚胎发育15.5d和新生小鼠胰腺中也未发现Lgr5阳性细胞;但是将4-hydroxyTamoxifen (4-羟基–他莫昔芬)添加到培养基中,在Lgr5-Cre^ERT2+/–;Rosa26-mTmG转基因小鼠胰...     

胎牛雄性生殖干细胞源类ES细胞的分离培养与多能性研究

雄性生殖干细胞(male germ stem cells , mGSCs)来源于原始生殖细胞(primordial germ cells ,PGCs) ,且终生存在于性分化后的睾丸中。从20周胎牛分离睾丸细胞,2步连续贴壁速率差法能有效纯化胎牛mGSCs ,经流式细胞仪检测,CD9阳性细胞的比例达到95.8 %。原代与支持细胞共培养,出现隆突状和鸟巢状两种细胞集落。获得1株传至4代仍呈现集落生长的细胞株,且集落AKP染色阳性。对第3代鸟巢状细胞集落免疫组化和诱导分化分析,结果显示:SSEA1和Oct-4免疫组化染色阳性;短期内可自发形成c-kit染色阳性的分化态精原细胞;定向诱导分化形成了表达神经丝蛋白(Neuro filament ,NF)的神经样细胞和表达α-actin的心肌样细胞团。试验结果表明:20周胎牛雄性生殖干细胞在体外可形成具有多分化潜能性的类胚胎干(embryonic stem,ES)细胞。     

镉胁迫对河南华溪蟹两种C型凝集素免疫应答的影响

C型凝集素是一类可以和糖类结合的蛋白质, 是先天性免疫系统中重要的模式识别受体。其中, 经典C型凝集素依赖Ca2+对糖类进行识别。Ca2+可作为细胞内第二信使, 参与多种信息传递。而重金属镉可导致细胞钙稳态失调, 干扰细胞内与Ca2+相关的信息传递。研究旨在探明镉胁迫对河南华溪蟹(Sinopotamon henanense) ShLec21和ShLec23两种C型凝集素免疫应答的影响。利用RACE方法, 克隆了ShLec21和ShLec23, 并进行了系统进化分析; 利用实时荧光定量PCR的方法, 研究了ShLec21和ShLec23的组织表达模式和镉联合嗜水气单胞菌(Aeromonas hydrophila)胁迫后肝胰腺和血淋巴中ShLec21和ShLec23表达模式。结果显示: ShLec21 cDNA全长863 bp, 编码152个氨基酸残基; ShLec23 cDNA全长681 bp, 编码164个氨基酸残基。ShLec21和ShLec23分别聚类为无脊椎动物的两个分支。ShLec21和ShLec23在血淋巴、鳃、肝胰腺、肠道、肌肉、卵巢和精巢中表达广泛, 但二者均主要在肝胰腺中表达。在胁迫条件下, 单独镉胁迫对肝胰腺和血淋巴中ShLec21和ShLec23表达量无显著影响; 在单独嗜水气单胞菌感染后, 肝胰腺中ShLec21和ShLec23表达量分别显著(P<0.05)与极显著(P<0.01)下调, 血淋巴中ShLec23表达量显著(P<0.05)下调; 而在镉胁迫后嗜水气单胞菌感染过程中,ShLec21和ShLec23表达量在肝胰腺和血淋巴中显著(P<0.05)或极显著(P<0.01)上调。研究结果表明, 河南华溪蟹ShLec21和ShLec23在响应嗜水气单胞菌感染过程中的表达, 在一定程度上能够被镉胁迫所上调。     

胚胎肝细胞用于肝组织工程的体外培养研究

目的:观察三维受控组装系统下,胚胎肝细胞在三维立体结构的体外生长状态,探讨胚胎肝细胞在肝组织工程中应用的可行性。方法:用清华大学机械工程系研制的"三维受控组装系统",将第15 d小鼠胚胎肝细胞作为肝组织工程的种子细胞,与以明胶为主的复合材料混合,构建成复杂三维立体结构,观察其体外生长发育状态。对体外培养1周及4周的三维类肝组织标本进行苏木精-伊红(HE)染色,免疫组织化学方法检测甲胎蛋白(AFP)及白蛋白(ALB)的表达,并对体外培养4周的三维类肝组织用PAS显色法检测肝糖原表达。结果:HE染色结果显示体外培养的胚胎肝细胞在三维支架材料中,可形成含有类血管和肝组织样结构;体外培养1周的类肝组织AFP表达呈阳性,体外培养4周的三维类肝组织ALB表达呈阳性,PAS显色亦呈阳性。结论:在三维受控组装系统的构建下,呈立体状生长的胚胎肝细胞,可逐渐形成肝组织样结构,并显示一定的肝脏功能。     

酪氨酸羟化酶在成年大鼠胰腺中的定位

目的:酪氨酸羟化酶(tyrosine hydroxylase,TH)是儿茶酚胺类递质合成的限速梅,儿茶酚胺类递质对胰腺内分泌细胞的功能具有重要的调控作用,本研究拟探讨酪氨酸羟化酶(tyrosine hydroxylase,TH)在成年大鼠整个胰腺的具体定位和表达.方法:取雄性成年大鼠胰腺,冰冻组织切片,应用免疫荧光技术观察酪氨酸羟化酶在整个胰腺中的表达分布情况,并进一步运用免疫荧光双标技术鉴定酪氨酸羟化酶是否与胰岛素、胰高血糖素、生长抑素以及胰多肽分别共定位于β细胞;α细胞;δ细胞及PP细胞,进一步确定合成酪氨酸羟化酶确切的细胞类型.结果:①在胰腺腺泡细胞胞浆中存在酪氨酸羟化酶的阳性表达颗粒.②分布于胰腺外分泌腺的神经纤维和胰岛的神经纤维中都有酪氨酸羟化酶的表达.③酪氨酸羟化酶与胰岛的四种内分泌细胞所合成的肽之间均没有共定位关系.结论:在胰腺,酪氨酸羟化酶只存在于胰腺外分泌腺的腺泡细胞胞浆内以及胰腺中的神经纤维中,而胰岛四种内分泌细胞中没有酪氨酸羟化酶,说明胰腺儿茶酚胺类神经递质一方面由胰腺外分泌部的腺泡细胞合成,另一方面来源于神经末梢的释放,而胰岛细胞不能合成儿茶酚胺类递质;该结果为进一步研究胰腺内、外分泌部之间的关系和儿茶酚胺对胰腺分泌功能的调节提供形态学证据.     

Characterization and categorization of fluorescence activated cell sorted planarian stem cells by ultrastructural analysis

Planarians have regenerative ability made possible by pluripotent stem cells referred to as neoblasts. Classical ultrastructural studies have indicated that stem cells can be distinguished by a unique cytoplasmic structure known as the chromatoid body and their undifferentiated features, and they are specifically eliminated by X-ray irradiation. Recently, by using fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS), planarian cells were separated into two X-ray-sensitive fractions (X1 and X2) and an X-ray-insensitive fraction (XIS) according to DNA content and cytoplasmic size. Here we analyzed the fractionated cells by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). First, we found that both undifferentiated cells (stem cells) and regenerative cells (differentiating cells) were concentrated in the X1 fraction containing the S/G2/M phase cells. The regenerative cells were considered to be committed stem cells or progenitor cells, suggesting that some stem cells may maintain proliferative ability even after cell fate-commitment. Second, we succeeded in identifying a new type of stem cells, which were small in size with few chromatoid bodies and a heterochromatin-rich nucleus. Interestingly, they were concentrated in the X2 fraction, containing G0/G1 phase cells. These results suggest that planarian stem cells are not homogeneous, but may consist of heterogeneous populations, like mammalian stem cells.     

Genetically selected stem cells from human adipose tissue express cardiac markers

In the present study, the potential of human adipose-derived stem cells to differentiate into cells with characteristics of cardiomyocytes was investigated. Adipose tissue-derived stem cells (ADSCs) were transduced with two different lentiviral vectors simultaneously: (1) a lentiviral vector expressing eGFP controlled by the Nkx2.5 promoter and (2) a lentiviral vector expressing DsRed2 controlled by the myosin light chain-2v promoter (MLC-2v). Nkx2.5-eGFP and MLC-2v-DsRed2 dual positive cells were isolated by FACS. Immunostaining and RT-PCR analysis of the dual positive cells revealed that these cells are positive for Nkx2.5, cardiac troponin I, and L-type calcium channel alpha-1c subunit. Electrophysiology studies demonstrated the presence of functional voltage-dependent calcium and potassium channels. These observations confirm that cardiac progenitor cells can be isolated and enriched from human adipose-derived stem cells using lentiviral selection, and they might represent a new source for cell therapy for myocardial infarction and heart failure.     

Mouse epidermal stem cells proceed through the cell cycle

The epidermis is a continuously renewing tissue maintained by undifferentiated stem cells. For decades it has been assumed that epidermal stem cells (ESCs) were held in the G0 phase of the cell cycle and that they only entered the cell cycle when needed. Previously, we showed that ESCs retained nuclear label for long periods, indicating that these cells did not proceed through the cell cycle at the same rate as the other proliferative basal cells. However, their exact cell-cycle profile has not been determined because a pure population of ESCs has not been available. In this study, we sorted stem and transient amplifying (TA) cells from murine neonatal back skin, and adult ear, footpad, and back skin, using our recently developed method. We found that neonatal back skin had two times the number of ESCs as the adult tissues. Despite the age and anatomical difference, these ESC populations exhibited similar cell cycle profiles with approximately 96% in G0/G1 and 4% in S-G2/M. The cell cycle profiles of the TA cells from neonatal back skin and adult footpad also showed a profile similar to each other (85% in G1 and 15% in S-G2/M). Examination of genes on a cell cycle chip showed that proliferation associated genes and only p57 were upregulated in the TA cell and ESC population, respectively. We found BrdU positive and cyclin B1 positive cells in all groups, confirming that both ESCs and TA cells were cycling. These data demonstrate that there are more TA cells dividing than ESCs, that the cell cycle profile of adult TA cells is related to the proliferative state of the tissue in which they reside, and that ESC proceed through the cell cycle.     

Neural precursors derived from human embryonic stem cells

Before the successful isolation of human embryonic stem (hES) cells, many investigations had shown that mouse embryonic stem (mES) cells can be induced to differentiate into neural precursors which could be purified and differentiated to mature dopamine, motor, serotonin, GABA neurons, and oligodendrocytes and astrocytes in vitro[1―3]. mES cell-derived dopamine neurons have been shown capable of integrating into host brains after transplanting to the rodents of Park-inson’s disease model …     

Long-term cultured human neural stem cells undergo spontaneous transformation to tumor-initiating cells

In this report, we describe the spontaneous malignant transformation of long-term cultured human fetal striatum neural stem cells (hsNSCs, passage 17). After subcutaneous transplantation of long-term cultured hsNSCs into immunodeficient nude mice, 2 out of 15 mice formed xenografts which expressed neuroendocrine tumor markers CgA and NSE. T1 cells, a cell line that we derived from one of the two subcutaneous xenografts, have undergone continuous expansion in vitro. These T1 cells showed stem cell-like features and expressed neural stem cell markers nestin and CD133. The T1 cells were involved in abnormal karyotype, genomic instability and fast proliferation. Importantly, after long-term in vitro culture, the T1 cells did not result in subcutaneous xenografts, but induced intracranial tumor formation, indicating that they adjusted themselves to the intracranial microenvironment. We further found that the T1 cells exhibited an overexpressed level of EGFR, and the CD133 positive T1 cells showed a truncation mutation in the exons 2-7 of the EGFR (EGFRvIII) gene. These results suggest that continuous expansion of neural stem cells in culture may lead to malignant spontaneous transformation. This phenomenon may be functionally related to EGFR by EGFRvIII gene mutation.     

Evidence that aberrant expression of tissue transglutaminase promotes stem cell characteristics in mammary epithelial cells

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) or tumor initiating cells (TICs) make up only a small fraction of total tumor cell population, but recent evidence suggests that they are responsible for tumor initiation and the maintenance of tumor growth. Whether CSCs/TICs originate from normal stem cells or result from the dedifferentiation of terminally differentiated cells remains unknown. Here we provide evidence that sustained expression of the proinflammatory protein tissue transglutaminase (TG2) confers stem cell like properties in non-transformed and transformed mammary epithelial cells. Sustained expression of TG2 was associated with increase in CD44(high)/CD24(low/-) subpopulation, increased ability of cells to form mammospheres, and acquisition of self-renewal ability. Mammospheres derived from TG2-transfected mammary epithelial cells (MCF10A) differentiated into complex secondary structures when grown in Matrigel cultures. Cells in these secondary structures differentiated into Muc1-positive (luminal marker) and integrin α6-positive (basal marker) cells in response to prolactin treatment. Highly aggressive MDA-231 and drug-resistant MCF-7/RT breast cancer cells, which express high basal levels of TG2, shared many traits with TG2-transfected MCF10A stem cells but unlike MCF10A-derived stem cells they failed to form the secondary structures and to differentiate into Muc1-positive luminal cells when grown in Matrigel culture. Downregulation of TG2 attenuated stem cell properties in both non-transformed and transformed mammary epithelial cells. Taken together, these results suggested a new function for TG2 and revealed a novel mechanism responsible for promoting the stem cell characteristics in adult mammary epithelial cells.     

Age-dependent changes in myogenic precursor cell compartment sizes. Evidence for the existence of a stem cell

Individual myogenic cells were isolated from the pectoralis muscles of chick embryos from days 8-14 of embryogenesis. When separately cloned, these cells produced three types of colonies in culture: (1) Positive: all cells in the clone were terminally differentiated muscle cells; (2) negative: no cells in the clone were terminally differentiated muscle; (3) mixed: some cells in the clone were terminally differentiated muscle. Positive clones from all ages tended to contain 2n cells (n = 0, 1, 2, 3, 4). Negative clones were found in all sizes and did not cluster around powers of 2 in cell number. Mixed clones were, by far, the most common type among those clones larger than 24 in cell number. Estimates of cell numbers in embryonic muscle tissue revealed that, while the numbers of cells in all myogenic compartments increased steadily with embryonic age, the number and percentage of precursor cells that produced large mixed clones increased dramatically. Subclones, prepared from populations of cells equivalent to large mixed clones, yielded both small positive and large mixed colonies. This indicated that the precursors to the large mixed clones were also precursors to the smaller positive clones. These observations suggest a model for the myogenic lineage in which there exists a stem cell that can generate, by a series of asymmetric divisions, cohorts of terminally differentiated muscle cells. The model can explain the asynchrony of production of terminally differentiated muscle cells both in vitro and in vivo.     

Amnion Epithelial Cells of Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Term Placenta Expressed Embryonic Stem Cells Markers and Differentiated into Cells of Neurogenic Lineage In Vitro

Aim of the present study was the isolation, culture, and characterization of amniotic membrane-derived epithelial cells (AE) from term placenta collected postpartum in buffalo. We found that cultured cells were of polygonal in shape, resistance to trypsin digestion and expressed cytokeratin-18 indicating that they were of epithelial origin. These cells have negative expression of mesenchymal stem cell markers (CD29, CD44, and CD105) and positive for pluripotency marker (OCT4) genes indicated that cultured cells were not contaminated with mesenchymal stem cells. Immunofluorescence staining with pluripotent stem cell surface markers, SSEA-1, SSEA-4, TRA-1-60, and TRA-1-81 indicated that these cells may retain pluripotent stem cell characteristics even after long period of differentiation. Differentiation potential of these cells was determined by their potential to differentiate into cells of neurogenic lineages using retinoic acid. In conclusion, we demonstrate that AE cells expressed pluripotent stem cell markers and have propensity to differentiate into cells of neurogenic lineage upon directed differentiation in vitro.     

Functional analysis of spermatogonial stem cells in Steel and cryptorchid infertile mouse models

Spermatogenesis is a complex and productive process that originates from stem cell spermatogonia and ultimately results in formation of mature spermatozoa. The stem cell undergoes self-renewal throughout life, but study of its biological characteristics has been difficult because a very small number (2 to 3 in 10(4) cells) exist in the testis and they can only be identified by function. Although the development of the spermatogonial transplantation technique has provided an assay system for stem cells, efficient methods to enrich stem cells have not been available. Here, we examined two infertile mouse models, Steel/Steel(Dickie)(Sl/Sl(d)) and experimental cryptorchid, as a source of testis cell populations enriched in stem cells. The Sl/Sl(d) testis showed little enrichment, which raises questions about how adult stem cell number is determined and about the currently accepted belief that adult stem cells are independent of Sl factor. The cells recovered from cryptorchid testes were enriched for stem cells 25-fold (colonies) or 50-fold (area) compared to wild-type testes. The cryptorchid condition does not affect stem cell activity, but eliminates almost all differentiated cells, and about 1 in 200 cells is a stem cell. Thus, cryptorchid testes provide an important approach for purification and characterization of spermatogonial stem cells.