EXPERIMENTAL MANIPULATION OF ALTERNATIVE PATHWAYS OF DIFFERENTIATION IN CULTURES OF EMBRYONIC CHICK NEURAL RETINA

Embryonic chick neural retina cells can transdifferentiate during long-term cell culture into either pigmented epithelium or lens fibres. We have found that some culture conditions influence the choice between these pathways. Pigment cell development is promoted by low initial cell densities and by the use of a medium based on Earle's salt formulation rather than Hank's, while lens fibre development is encouraged by high initial cell densities and by folding the cell sheet into multilayered regions. Some differences in in vitro cell properties of neural retina are reported for two genotypes previously found to exhibit differences in in vitro cell properties of lens epithelial cells.     

IN VITRO DIFFERENTIATION OF CHICK EMBRYONIC LENS EPITHELIAL CELLS INTO FIBER CELLS

The processes of fiber-cell formation in the lens epithelium of 9-day-old chick embryo in vitro were studied.
Mitotic activity was enhanced during the first 12 hr, but with a drop at the 4th hour of cultivation. After the 24th hour, when the cells began to elongate, almost no mitotic figures or incorporation of ³H-thymidine into the nuclei were observed.
α- and δ-crystallin were contained in and synthesized by the newly isolated lens epithelium. The content and syntheses had diminished by the 12th hour.
In the earlier phase of cultivation, both fiber cell formation and crystallin synthesis were suppressed by treatment with Actinomycin D, but after the 12th hour they were resistant to the antibiotic.
The correlation between cell division and fiber-cell differentiation in the lens epithelium in vitro is discussed and compared with that reported in Wolffian lens regeneration and in developing bovine lens.     

人胚胎干细胞分化为神经干细胞诱导方法的对比研究

目的探讨人胚胎干细胞分化为神经干细胞过程中,经拟胚体（embryonic body,EB）法和直接分化法的不同效率。方法人胚胎干细胞常规培养消化后,分为两组：A组,经EB法分化;B组,添加noggin和ITSFn直接分化法。倒置相差显微镜观察细胞形态变化,RT-PCR检测细胞各阶段标志物,免疫荧光及流式细胞仪观察两组细胞Nestin阳性细胞率。神经干细胞继续分化,免疫荧光、RT-PCR法检测MAP2、GFAP表达。结果RT-PCR检测到OCT4、nestin表达。B组nestin阳性细胞率明显高于A组,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.01）,且诱导周期短于A组。神经干细胞继续分化,得到不同数量的神经元和胶质细胞,MAP2、GFAP分别阳性。结论在体外采用定向分化诱导,人胚胎干细胞不经EB,可直接定向分化为神经干细胞,且诱导效率比EB法高。因此直接分化法是一种经济实用的诱导方法。     

THE INFLUENCE OF GROWTH-INHIBITING AND GROWTH-PROMOTING MEDIUM CONDITIONS ON CRYSTALLIN ACCUMULATION IN TRANSDIFFERENTIATING CULTURES OF EMBRYONIC CHICK NEURAL RETINA

The effects of media containing undialysed serum (controls) or dialysed serum with or without ascorbic acid, were compared during the second half of the 41-day culture period in embryonic chick neural retina cultures, which had all been grown in control medium prior to 19 days. Conditions permitting greatest culture growth (controls) showed earlier and more extensive development of lentoids, greater accumulation of total crystallin and a higher proportion of δ relative to α+β crystallins. Conditions allowing least culture growth (dialysed serum) gave converse results throughout. Thus changes in culture growth rate apparently affect δ crystallin production more than α or β crystallin production. Insulin promotes growth in neural retina cultures, whether present throughout the culture period (in this case 31 days), or only from 18 days onwards. The frequency and survival of putative neuronal cell aggregates are both increased by insulin during the first 18 days of culture. Delta crystallin production during subsequent transdifferentiation is selectively promoted by insulin when present throughout, but this effect is largely obviated when insulin is present only from 18 days onwards. This anomaly could arise through percursor cell selection during the earlier phases of culture, since it is possible that some (not all) lentoids may be derived from aggregates of neuronal-like cells in neural retina cultures. Thus precursor cell selection as well as culture growth rate may influence the pattern of crystallin production during transdifferentiation.     

小鼠胚胎干细胞定向分化为神经干细胞过程中microRNA的变化

目的用生物芯片技术分析胚胎干细胞定向分化为神经干细胞过程中microRNA(miRNA)的表达变化,筛选调控的分化的miRNA,研究分化调控机制。方法胚胎干细胞在含LIF培养基中培养3d后,采用经典5步培养方法定向诱导向神经干细胞分化,采用nestin作为神经干细胞标记进行鉴定,送检胚胎干细胞及神经干细胞,提取总RNA以及小分子RNA,经荧光标记后与miRNA基因芯片杂交,获得胚胎干细胞诱导前后miRNA表达谱。结果1)胚胎干细胞在含LIF培养过程中保持未分化状态,Oct-4、碱性磷酸酶表达阳性;2)经典五步法诱导胚胎干细胞定向分化为神经干细胞,nestin阳性细胞为85%;3)通过基因微阵列分析,有90个miRNA的改变显著,其中68个表达上调,22个表达下调。结论miRNA可能对胚胎干细胞定向分化为神经干细胞过程起到关键作用。     

THE FINE STRUCTURE OF EMBRYONIC CHICK SKELETAL MUSCLE CELLS DIFFERENTIATED IN VITRO

Dissociated myoblasts from 12-day chick embryos were cultured in monolayer, and the differentiation of skeletal muscle cells was studied by electron microscopy. The results have revealed a striking ultrastructural similarity between the in vivo and the in vitro developing muscle, particularly with respect to the myofibrils and sarcoplasmic reticulum. This study demonstrates that all the characteristic organelles of mature skeletal muscle can develop in vitro in the absence of nerves.     

COMPARISON OF THE GROWTH AND DIFFERENTIATION OF EPITHELIAL CELLS FROM NORMAL AND HYPERPLASTIC LENSES OF THE CHICK: STUDIES OF IN VITRO CELL CULTURES

Epithelial cells from hyperplastic lenses of a strain of chicks (Hy-1) selected for high growth rate were dissociated and cultured in vitro and compared with lens epithelial cells from a normal strain (N) in similar conditions. The hyperplastic lens cells showed remarkable motility and adhesiveness after dissociation and formed cell aggregates of various sizes before attaching to the substrate, giving a rather low plating efficiency. The lens structures (lentoid bodies) developed in partially confluent cultures of Hy-1 cells at least three days earlier than those in the cultures from normal control cells, in which the lens structures developed only after the cultures reached confluence. The results of culture at low cell density showed that the Hy-1 cell population consisted of at least two cell types different from each other in growth capacity. These striking differences in in vitro behaviour of dissociated cells from normal and hyperplastic lens epithelia and the results of clonal culture are discussed in relation to the possible mechanisms of abnormal morphogenesis and growth which are likely to be involved in the development of the hyperplastic lens in situ .     

DIFFERENTIATION AND PROLIFERATION OF EMBRYONIC MAST CELLS OF THE RAT

Histochemical reactions and radioautography were used to investigate the sequence of mast cell development in rat embryos. Mast cells arise ubiquitously in and are confined to the loose connective tissue in the embryo. The alcian blue-safranin reaction distinguishes between weakly sulfated and strongly sulfated mucopolysaccharides by a shift from alcian blue to safranin staining. Based on this reaction and morphologic characteristics, four stages were identified. Stage I mast cells are lymphocyte-like cells with cytoplasmic granules which invariably stain blue with the alcian blue-safranin reaction. In Stage II cells the majority of granules are alcian blue-positive, but some safranin-positive granules have appeared. Stage III mast cells are distinguished by a majority of safranin-positive cytoplasmic granules; some alcian blue-positive granules still remain. Stage IV cells contain only safranin-positive granules. Thymidine-H³ uptake and identification of mitotic figures indicates that mast cells in Stages I and II comprise a mitotic pool while those in Stages III and IV are mitotically inactive. The pattern of S³⁵O₄ incorporation and the sequence of appearance of histochemically identifiable mast cell constituents corroborates division of the proliferation and differentiation of embryonic mast cells into the four stages described above. The process of formation of mast cell granules is interpreted as reflecting the synthesis and accumulation of a heparin precursor in alcian blue positive granules followed by the synthesis and accumulation of highly N-sulfated heparin along with mast cell chymase and finally histamine in safranin-positive granules.     

EFFECTS OF CULTURE MEDIA ON THE "FOREIGN" DIFFERENTIATION OF LENS AND PIGMENT CELLS FROM NEURAL RETINA IN VITRO

Neural retinal cells of 3.5-day-old quail embryos were cultured as a monolayer to examine their potentials for differentiation in vitro. The "foreign" differentiation into lentoid and pigment cells was much affected by the choice of medium (Eagle's MEM and Ham's F–12); in Eagle's MEM, neural retinal cells differentiated extensively into lentoid bodies and pigment cells, as previously reported in cultures of chick neural retinal cells, while in Ham's F–12, though the cells proliferated as well as in Eagle's MEM, the "foreign" differentiation is inhibited. When primary cultures were transferred to secondary cultures, the occurrence of "foreign" differentiation did not depend on the medium used for the primary culturing, but wholly on the medium used for secondary cultures. This difference in differentiation in two different media was quantitatively substantiated by measuring the amounts of α-, δ-crystallins and melanins of cultured cells.     

鸡胚早期神经系统发育中凋亡细胞的分布研究

研究鸡胚18S（Stage）神经系统发育中凋亡细胞的分布及其生物学意义。采用HNK－1和TUNEL免疫组化双染及改变切片方向的方法观察了神经管和神经嵴的凋亡细胞,结果显示：凋亡的细胞在间隔10张横向切片上呈非均匀分布,但在矢状切面凋亡细胞有节段性分布趋势。体节处连续神经嵴没有发现凋亡细胞,而体节与体节之间神经嵴迁离神经管呈游离状并有凋亡细胞,神经管腹侧面体节处间充质细胞呈现细胞凋亡节段性分布。结果表明：鸡胚早期神经系统发育中选择性发生细胞凋亡作用。     

维甲酸和EGF对大鼠脑胚胎神经干细胞增殖和分化的影响

目的 观察全反式维甲酸(RA)和表皮生长因子(EGF)对大鼠胚胎神经干细胞增殖和分化的影响。方法 从大鼠胚胎脑中分离神经干细胞,经RA和EGF处理后,用台盼蓝确定细胞数量,BrdU标记分析细胞生长能力,采用免疫细胞化学法鉴定神经干细胞和分化的神经细胞。结果 20ng／ml EGF和1μmol／LRA处理的培养细胞均显示增殖效应,但EGF处理组增殖速度明显高于RA组,悬浮细胞中有大量nestin和BrdU阳性细胞。用EGF和EGE／RA诱导的神经元分化率分别为17％和31％,而RA处理的神经元分化率显升高至89％。由EGF、EGF／RA和RA诱导的星形胶质细胞分化率分别为83％、69％和11％。结论 EGF主要促进神经干细胞增殖并主要诱导星形胶质细胞的生成,RA主要诱导神经干细胞向神经元分化,二无明显协同效应。     

CHANGES IN SUSCEPTIBILITY OF CHICK EMBRYONIC BLOOD CELLS TO NEWCASTLE DISEASE VIRUS

To analyse the age-dependent changes in susceptibility of chick embryonic cells to viral infection, observations were made on the blood cells after the inoculation of Newcastle disease virus. A lethal dose of Sato strain of Newcastle disease virus was introduced into chick embryos via injection of inoculum into the blood vessel and allantoic sac. Observations of blood cells by immunofluorescent technique revealed two types of cells, susceptible and resistant to the virus infection. Erythroblasts of both primitive and definitive lines, embryonic thromboblasts and thrombocytes were of the former type and mid- and late-polychromatic erythrocytes and mature ones were of the latter. Erythroblasts gradually decrease in their viral susceptibility as they differentiate into polychromatic erythrocytes and finally become resistant to the virus at the mid-polychromatic erythrocyte stage or later. Thromboblasts, on the other hand, retain high susceptibility to the virus throughout the course of their differentiation to mature thrombocytes. The change in the viral susceptibility of erythroid cells with differentiation is discussed in relation to the structural and functional alterations during the cell specialization.     

神经干细胞定向分化过程中溶酶体表达变化的研究

目的对神经干细胞向神经元定向分化过程中溶酶体的表达变化进行观察研究。方法采用细胞培养技术、荧光免疫细胞化学技术以及光电镜酶细胞化学技术对神经干细胞向神经元定向分化过程中溶酶体的表达变化进行观察。结果在神经干细胞向神经元定向分化的过程中,随着细胞分化的不断成熟,溶酶体的表达亦发生着变化。分化初期主要以核周附近表达明显,至神经元分化成熟则散在分布于胞质中及突起内,且表现有圆形、线状两种形态。结论在神经干细胞向神经元定向分化过程中溶酶体发生表达分布的变化,说明其参与了细胞的代谢和细胞内物质的运输。     

大脑皮层神经干细胞定向分化为神经元过程中钙调蛋白的表达

目的研究大脑皮层神经干细胞定向分化为神经元过程中钙调蛋白的表达及意义.方法采用细胞培养、免疫细胞化学方法(SABC法)观察钙调蛋白在神经干细胞定向分化过程中不同时段的表达情况.采用计算机图像分析技术对不同时段分化神经元中钙调蛋白的平均积分光密度进行定量测定.结果在神经干细胞定向分化为神经元的过程中,钙调蛋白于细胞核及核周呈阳性表达,随分化神经元的生长细胞核阳性表达逐渐减弱而胞浆增强,同时可见阳性反应物伸入树突及轴突.结论新生大鼠大脑皮层神经干细胞定向分化为神经元过程中,钙调蛋白的表达对神经干细胞定向分化的神经元的生长和发育起着重要作用.     

人胚不同脑区神经前体细胞的分离培养及分化特性的比较

目的研究人胚不同脑区神经前体细胞(neural progenitor cells,NPCs)培养及增殖分化特性。方法取14-17周人胚脑区组织,分为新皮质、纹状体、间脑、中脑、后脑和延髓组,悬浮培养。鉴定细胞球巢蛋白抗原的表达,分化及自我更新能力。观察各脑区培养细胞的生长、增殖状况。新皮质、纹状体及间脑来源的神经球分化后,运用免疫荧光细胞化学法比较神经元及星形胶质细胞的比例。结果各脑区培养出的悬浮细胞球巢蛋白抗原阳性,可分化为MAP2或GFAP阳性细胞,且BrdU掺入实验阳性。体外培养第3d,纹状体及间脑组均可见大量神经球,且纹状体组明显多于间脑组;新皮质组传代后可见较多神经球;其它组仅见个别神经球。新皮质、纹状体、间脑来源的NPCs诱导分化后,MAP2或GFAP阳性细胞率各组间比较差异无显著性。结论人胚不同脑区均可培养出NPCs,从易到难依次为纹状体、间脑、新皮质及其它脑区。新皮质、纹状体、间脑来源的NPCs体外分化比例一致。