Abstract:

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor recombinant adenovirus vector-transfected bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were induced to differentiate into neuron-like cells using inductive medium containing retinoic acid and epidermal growth factor. Cell viability, microtubule-associated protein 2-positive cell ratio, and the expression levels of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor and growth-associated protein-43 protein in the supernatant were significantly higher in glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor/bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells compared with empty virus plasmid-transfected bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Furthermore, microtubule-associated protein 2, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor and growth-associated protein-43 mRNA levels in cell pellets were statistically higher in glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor/bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells compared with empty virus plasmid-transfected bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. These results suggest that glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor/bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells have a higher rate of induction into neuron-like cells, and this enhanced differentiation into neuron-like cells may be associated with up-regulated expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor and growth-associated protein-43.

Key words: nerve regeneration, bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, cell differentiation, neuron-like cells, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, recombinant adenovirus vector, transfection, retinoic acid, epidermal growth factor, nerve growth factor, growth-associated protein-43, neural regeneration