Neural Regeneration Research

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Nerve growth factor promotes in vitro proliferation of neural stem cells from tree shrews

Liu-lin Xiong1, Zhi-wei Chen2, 3, Ting-hua Wang1, 2, 3, *   

  1. 1 Department of Anesthesiology, Institute of Neurological Disease, Translational Neuroscience Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China
    2 Institute of Neuroscience, Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
    3 Key Laboratory of National Physical Fitness and Altitude Training Adaptation in Yunnan Province; Institute of Physical Education, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan Province, China
  • Received:2015-12-22 Online:2016-04-30 Published:2016-04-30
  • Contact: Ting-hua Wang, M.D., tinghua_neuron@263.net.
  • Supported by:

    This research was supported by a grant from the National Key Technology Research and Development Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, No. 2014BAI01B00.

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Abstract:

Neural stem cells promote neuronal regeneration and repair of brain tissue after injury, but have limited resources and proliferative ability
in vivo. We hypothesized that nerve growth factor would promote in vitro proliferation of neural stem cells derived from the tree shrews, a
primate-like mammal that has been proposed as an alternative to primates in biomedical translational research. We cultured neural stem
cells from the hippocampus of tree shrews at embryonic day 38, and added nerve growth factor (100 μg/L) to the culture medium. Neural
stem cells from the hippocampus of tree shrews cultured without nerve growth factor were used as controls. After 3 days, fluorescence microscopy
after DAPI and nestin staining revealed that the number of neurospheres and DAPI/nestin-positive cells was markedly greater in
the nerve growth factor-treated cells than in control cells. These findings demonstrate that nerve growth factor promotes the proliferation
of neural stem cells derived from tree shrews.

Key words: nerve regeneration, tree shrews, hippocampus, neural stem cells, cell proliferation, nerve growth factor, neurosphere, embryo, cell number, cell therapy, in vitro, neural regeneration