In vitro culture and induced differentiation of adult rat neural stem cells from the corpus striatum.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the in vitro multipotential differentiation of neural stem cells from adult rat corpus striatum.

METHODS

The neural stem cells isolated from adult rat corpus striatum were cultured in serum-free medium to obtain cell suspension before monoclonal subculturing and differential induction. Immunocytochemical staining and reverse transcriptional PCR (RT-PCR) were performed to identify the properties of the differentiated cells.

RESULTS

Numerous cell clusters were formed in the phase of monoclonal culture, and different types of cells were observed 3 d after induction with fetal bovine serum. The differentiated cells contained cells positive for nestin, neuron-specific enolase (NSE) positive cells, and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) positive cells. RT-PCR identified expressions of the transcripts for neural cell-associated genes including brain factor-1, gamma-aminobutyric acid alpha-receptor gamma-subunit, tyrosine hydroxylase and tryptophan hydroxylase.

CONCLUSION

The cells separated from adult rat corpus striatum possess the ability of self-proliferation and multipotential differentiation, and are identified as the stem cells of the central nervous system.