Abstract:

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells were isolated by a double enzyme digestion method. The third passage of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells was induced with heparin and/or basic fi-broblast growth factor. Results confirmed that cell morphology did not change after induction with basic fibroblast growth factor alone. However, neuronal morphology was visible, and microtu-bule-associated protein-2 expression and acetylcholine levels increased following induction with heparin alone or heparin combined with basic fibroblast growth factor. Hb9 and choline acetyltransferase expression was high following inductive with heparin combined with basic fibro-blast growth factor. Results indicate that the inductive effect of basic fibroblast growth factor alone was not obvious. Heparin combined with basic fibroblast growth factor noticeably promoted the dif-ferentiation of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells into motor neuron-like cells. Simultaneously, umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells could secrete acetylcholine.

Key words: neural regeneration, stem cells, human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell, motor neuron, heparin, basic fibroblast growth factor, induction, differentiation, Hb9, acetylcholine, neuroregeneration