Role of miRNA-146?in proliferation and differentiation of mouse neural stem cells

Neural stem cells (NSCs) have been defined as neural cells with the potential to self-renew and eventually generate all cell types of the nervous system. NSCs serve as an ideal cell type for nervous system repair. In the present study, miR-146 overexpression and predicted target (notch 1) were used to study proliferation and differentiation of mouse NSCs. shRNA were used to demonstrate the function of Notch 1 in proliferation of mouse NSCs and luciferase reporter assay was used to assess and confirm the binding sequence of 3′-UTR between Notch 1 and miR-146. Results showed that miR-146 overexpression and knockdown of notch 1 inhibited proliferation of mouse NSCs under serum-free cultural conditions and promoted spontaneous differentiation of mouse NSCs under contained serum cultural conditions respectively. Mouse NSCs spontaneously underwent differentiation into neurogenic cells with contained serum medium. However, when miR-146 was overexpressed, differentiation efficiency of glial cells from NSCs was increased, suggesting that Notch1 promoted NSC proliferation and repressed spontaneous differentiation of NSC in serum-free medium. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that miR-146 promoted spontaneous differentiation of NSCs, and this mechanism was influenced by miR-146, as well as its target (notch 1) and downstream gene.     

乳鼠海马神经干细胞的体外分离、扩增和分化研究

探讨海马神经干细胞（neuralstemcells,NSCs）在体外分离扩增和诱导分化的可行性。无菌条件下分离新生（24h）SD大鼠海马神经干细胞,采用无血清培养和胎牛血清诱导分化。免疫荧光染色技术分别检测诱导前细胞巢蛋白（Nestin）的表达,以及分化细胞的神经元特异性烯醇化酶（neuron specific enolase,NSE）、胶质纤维酸性蛋白（glialfibrillaryacidicprotein,GFAP）的表达,以鉴定细胞类型。流式细胞仪检测神经干细胞分化前后增殖能力的变化。结果显示：从乳鼠海马分离培养的细胞生长状态良好,具有克隆增殖能力,并呈Nestin表达阳性,分化后可出现NSE及GFAP表达阳性的细胞。流式细胞仪检测显示：诱导前,细胞增殖活跃,S＋G2／M期细胞为（36．27±1．99）％,而分化各阶段（3,7,10d）S＋G2／M期细胞比例与诱导前（Ctrl）相比则明显下降（尸〈0．05）,分别为（26．39±1．10）％、（26．33±1．33）％和（24．54±1．12）％。这些结果表明乳鼠海马存在神经干细胞,并具有自我更新和多向分化的潜能,可用于基础和临床的相关研究。     

Notch信号通路对神经干细胞增殖分化的作用

神经干细胞作为一种具有自我更新能力和多向分化潜能的细胞,它的增殖和分化受到多种源于自身或外在、邻近或远程细胞信号通路的调控,各种细胞因子及胞间通讯在神经干细胞的增殖和分化中发挥着重要的作用。近年来的多种研究表明,Notch信号通路正是这样一种可以通过相邻细胞的配体与受体相互作用,从而传递信号,进一步发挥其生物学功能的重要信号通路。该通路参与了神经干细胞维持自我形态及向多种具有不同功能的神经细胞分化的过程．对于研究神经干细胞的增殖和分化具有巨大的意义。该文将就当前Notch信号通路对神经干细胞增殖分化影响的相关研究进行简要综述。     

Ghrelin promotes midbrain neural stem cells differentiation to dopaminergic neurons through Wnt/β-catenin pathway

Ghrelin plays a neuroprotective role in the process of dopaminergic (DAergic) neurons degeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, it still largely unknown whether ghrelin could affect the midbrain neural stem cells (mbNSCs) from which DAergic neurons are originated. In the present study, we observed that ghrelin enhanced mbNSCs proliferation, and promoted neuronal differentiation especially DAergic neuron differentiation both in vitro and ex vivo. The messenger RNA levels of Wnt1, Wnt3a, and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor were increased in response to the ghrelin treatment. Results showed that Wnt/β-catenin pathway was relevant to this DAergic neuron differentiation induced by ghrelin. Our finding gave a new evidence that ghrelin may enable clinical therapies for PD by its neurogenesis role.     

川芎嗪对体外培养的胎鼠神经干细胞增殖和分化的影响

目的：探讨川芎嗪（TMP）在体外神经干细胞（NSCs）增殖与分化中的作用。方法：原代提取孕14 d雌性大鼠的胎鼠大脑皮层分离培养,并作免疫荧光染色鉴定,取传代培养第3代的NSCs进行实验。实验分为对照组、β-巯基乙醇阳性对照组、TMP诱导组和TMP+EGTA组（n=4）。采用BrdU法和MTT法观察川芎嗪对NSCs增殖数量的影响,采用蛋白免疫印迹法检测NSCs的分化表达情况。结果：实验成功分离纯化原代NSCs,培养3~5 d可见部分神经球形成,具备典型的NSCs形态并表达NSCs特异抗原巢蛋白;BrdU法和MTT法结果均显示,与对照组和β-巯基乙醇阳性对照组相比,TMP组NSCs增殖数量明显增多（P<0.05）;蛋白免疫印迹结果显示,TMP组和TMP+EGTA组NSCs的神经元分化率明显增高,TMP+EGTA组分化率增高更明显（P<0.05）。结论：TMP能显著增强NSCs的增殖和神经元分化率。减少细胞外Ca²⁺可促进TMP诱导NSCs向神经元分化,Ca²⁺信号在TMP诱导NSCs向神经元分化过程中起重要作用。     

溶血磷脂酸促进离体大鼠胚胎神经干细胞的增殖及其向胆碱能神经元分化

溶血磷脂酸（1ysophosphatidic acid,LPA）是一种细胞外磷脂信号。本研究用[^3H]-胸腺嘧啶掺入法、免疫细胞化学和Western blot等技术,观察了LPA对体外培养的大鼠胚胎神经干细胞（neural stem cells,NSCs）的增殖以及向MAF2标记的一般神经元和ChAT标记的胆碱能神经元的分化的影响。结果显示：（1）在特殊的无血清培养基中加入低浓度的LPA（0．01-1．0μmol/L）后,NSCs对【^3H】-胸腺嘧啶的摄入呈剂量依赖性增加,表明LPA对NSCs有显著的促增殖作用;（2）在培养基中加入胎牛血清以诱导NSCs的分化,发现低浓度的LPA增加MAF2阳性和ChAT阳性神经元的比例,0．1μmol／L LPA引起的增加达到峰值;（3）Western blot分析显示LPA促进了MAP2和ChAT的表达;（4）在诱导NSCs出现分化早期,用倒置显微镜观察到低浓度的LPA明显促进细胞突起的生长和细胞的迁移。以上结果表明,低浓度LPA在一定范围内可以促进NSCs的增殖、并分化为一般的MAP2阳性神经元和特殊的胆碱能神经元,而且LPA可以促进在分化早期出现的神经元或神经胶质细胞前体细胞的迁移和突起生长。     

L-型钙通道对大鼠胚胎海马神经干细胞增殖和分化的调控

为鉴定大鼠胚胎海马神经干细胞(NSCs)是否表达功能性的L-型钙通道,L-型钙通道是否参与了对大鼠胚胎NSCs增殖和分化调控.分离孕15天Wistar大鼠胚胎海马组织,制成单细胞悬液,利用无血清培养技术,在添加bFGF、EGF、N-2和B27 supplement的DMEM/F12培养液中进行培养.采用细胞免疫荧光法对原代至第5代细胞进行鉴定,均有巢蛋白(nestin)的表达,第3代nestin阳性细胞比例达97%.把培养的细胞诱导分化5天后,这些细胞表现为神经元和星形胶质细胞的形态,且分别呈Ⅲ型β-微管蛋白(Tuj1)阳性和胶质纤维酸性蛋白(GFAP)阳性;细胞免疫印迹结果显示,NSCs表达L-型钙通道的Cav1.2α1C亚单位,而无Cav1.3α1D亚单位的表达;利用全细胞膜片钳技术在NSCs上记录到了L-型钙电流,证明了NSCs所表达的L-型钙通道具有功能.进一步对细胞进行药理学干预,发现L-型钙通道的激活不仅可以促进胚胎NSCs的增殖,而且使增殖的NSCs向神经元分化的比例显著增加.以上结果表明,Wistar大鼠胚胎海马NSCs表达功能性的L-型钙通道;L-型钙通道参与了胚胎NSCs增殖和分化的调控.     

Derivation of neural precursor cells from human ES cells at 3% O(2) is efficient, enhances survival and presents no barrier to regional specification and functional differentiation

In vitro stem cell systems traditionally employ oxygen levels that are far removed from the in vivo situation. This study investigates whether an ambient environment containing a physiological oxygen level of 3% (normoxia) enables the generation of neural precursor cells (NPCs) from human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and whether the resultant NPCs can undergo regional specification and functional maturation. We report robust and efficient neural conversion at 3% O(2), demonstration of tri-lineage potential of resultant NPCs and the subsequent electrophysiological maturation of neurons. We also show that NPCs derived under 3% O(2) can be differentiated long term in the absence of neurotrophins and can be readily specified into both spinal motor neurons and midbrain dopaminergic neurons. Finally, modelling the oxygen stress that occurs during transplantation, we demonstrate that in vitro transfer of NPCs from a 20 to 3% O(2) environment results in significant cell death, while maintenance in 3% O(2) is protective. Together these findings support 3% O(2) as a physiologically relevant system to study stem cell-derived neuronal differentiation and function as well as to model neuronal injury.     

Engineering stem cell fate with biochemical and biomechanical properties of microcarriers

Microcarriers have been widely used for various biotechnology applications because of their high scale‐up potential, high reproducibility in regulating cellular behavior, and well‐documented compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP). Recently, microcarriers have been emerging as a novel approach for stem cell expansion and differentiation, enabling potential scale‐up of stem cell‐derived products in large bioreactors. This review summarizes recent advances of using microcarriers in mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) and pluripotent stem cell (PSC) cultures. From the reported data, efficient expansion and differentiation of stem cells on microcarriers rely on their ability to modulate cell shape (i.e. round or spreading) and cell organization (i.e. aggregate size). Nonetheless, current screening of microcarriers remains empirical, and accurate understanding of how stem cells interact with microcarriers still remains unknown. This review suggests that accurate characterization of biochemical and biomechanical properties of microcarriers is required to fully exploit their potential in regulating stem cell fate decision. Due to the variety of microcarriers, such detailed analyses should lead to the rational design of application‐specific microcarriers, enabling the exploitation of reproducible effects for large scale biomedical applications. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 29:1354–1366, 2013     

干细胞与组织工程

随着生物材料、生物反应器设计及对机体发育和创伤修复机制的深入理解,在体外构建用于修复替代人体丧失功能的组织器官这一人类理想,已发展成一门独立且蓬勃发展的学科——组织工程学（Tissue Engineering）。组织工程学是一个多学科交叉的新兴领域,至少涉及生命科学、医学及工程学等三个学科。种子细胞、支架材料和诱导信号是组织工程学的三个基本要素。目前种子细胞是制约组织工程发展的一个主要瓶颈。干细胞生物学的发展使人们看到了打破这个瓶颈的可能。干细胞体外扩增及定向分化的技术发展,及对其增殖和诱导分化机制的深入理解,使工程化组织可以获得理想的基本功能单位,使其应用于临床成为可能。