OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility of inducing rat bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSC) to differentiate into neuron-like cells with the use of Vitamin A acid, zinc and rat injured spinal cord extracts in vitro.METHODS: The BMSC were isolated from rat, cultured for 4 passages, and were treated with 10 ng/ml basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) for 24 h before induction. Then the medium was replaced by an induction media containing Vitamin A acid, zinc and rat injured spinal cord extracts. The morphological changes of the cells were observed. At day 12 of induction, the cells were stained immunocytochemically with neuron-specific enolase (NSE), neurofilament (NF) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) antibodies.RESULTS: At day 12 of induction, a certain number of BMSC became neuron-like cells and showed NSE and NF expression. But the neuron-like cells did not express GFAP.CONCLUSION: The BMSC can be induced to differentiate into neuron-like cells with the use of Vitamin A acid, zinc and rat injured spinal cord extracts.
Animals Bone Marrow Cells