搜索结果: 'methocult media formulations for mouse hematopoietic cells serum containing'

Chemokine stromal derived factor 1 (SDF-1) is involved in trafficking of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) from the bone marrow (BM) to peripheral blood (PB) and has been found to enhance postischemia angiogenesis. This study was aimed at investigating whether SDF-1 plays a role in differentiation of BM-derived c-kit(+) stem cells into endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and in ischemia-induced trafficking of stem cells from PB to ischemic tissues. We found that SDF-1 enhanced EPC number by promoting alpha(2),alpha(4),and alpha(5) integrin-mediated adhesion to fibronectin and collagen I. EPC differentiation was reduced in mitogen-stimulated c-kit(+) cells,while cytokine withdrawal or the overexpression of the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p16(INK4) restored such differentiation,suggesting a link between control of cell cycle and EPC differentiation. We also analyzed the time course of SDF-1 expression in a mouse model of hind-limb ischemia. Shortly after femoral artery dissection,plasma SDF-1 levels were up-regulated,while SDF-1 expression in the bone marrow was down-regulated in a timely fashion with the increase in the percentage of PB progenitor cells. An increase in ischemic tissue expression of SDF-1 at RNA and protein level was also observed. Finally,using an in vivo assay such as injection of matrigel plugs,we found that SDF-1 improves formation of tubulelike structures by coinjected c-kit(+) cells. Our findings unravel a function for SDF-1 in increase of EPC number and formation of vascular structures by bone marrow progenitor cells. View Publication

Valproate,an anticonvulsant drug used to treat bipolar disorder,was studied for its ability to promote neurogenesis from embryonic rat cortical or striatal primordial stem cells. Six days of valproate exposure increased by up to fivefold the number and percentage of tubulin beta III-immunopositive neurons,increased neurite outgrowth,and decreased by fivefold the number of astrocytes without changing the number of cells. Valproate also promoted neuronal differentiation in human fetal forebrain stem cell cultures. The neurogenic effects of valproate on rat stem cells exceeded those obtained with the neurotrophins brain-derived growth factor (BDNF) or NT-3,and slightly exceeded the effects obtained with another mood stabilizer,lithium. No effect was observed with carbamazepine. Most of the newly formed neurons were GABAergic,as shown by 10-fold increases in neurons that immunostained for GABA and the GABA-synthesizing enzyme GAD65/67. Double immunostaining for bromodeoxyuridine and tubulin beta III showed that valproate increased by four- to fivefold the proliferation of neuronal progenitors derived from rat stem cells and increased cyclin D2 expression. Valproate also regulated the expression of survival genes,Bad and Bcl-2,at different times of treatment. The expression of prostaglandin E synthase,analyzed by quantitative RT-PCR,was increased by ninefold as early as 6 h into treatment by valproate. The enhancement of GABAergic neuron numbers,neurite outgrowth,and phenotypic expression via increases in the neuronal differentiation of neural stem cell may contribute to the therapeutic effects of valproate in the treatment of bipolar disorder. View Publication

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) are capable of differentiating into several cell types including adipocytes,osteoblasts,and chondrocytes,under appropriate culture conditions. We found that SP600125,an inhibitor of Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK),promoted adipogenesis whereas it repressed osteogenesis from hMSCs. SP600125 increased the expression of adipogenic transcription factors,CCAAT/enhancer-binding proteins alpha and beta as well as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma2,which suggested that the chemical acted on the early steps of transcriptional regulatory cascade in adipogenesis. A gene reporter assay showed that SP600125 and a dominant negative JNK promoted a transcriptional activity dependent on the cAMP-response element (CRE). Thus,JNK represses adipogenesis from hMSCs probably by,at least in part,inhibiting the transactivating function of CRE-binding protein. Another action of JNK,phosphorylation at Ser(307) of insulin receptor substrate-1,was also predicted to contribute to the repression of adipogenesis. View Publication

Valproic acid (VPA) has been used as an anticonvulsant agent for the treatment of epilepsy,as well as a mood stabilizer for the treatment of bipolar disorder,for several decades. The mechanism of action for these effects remains to be elucidated and is most likely multifactorial. Recently,VPA has been reported to inhibit histone deacetylase (HDAC) and HDAC has been reported to play roles in differentiation of mammalian cells. In this study,the effects of HDAC inhibitors on differentiation and proliferation of human adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (hADSC) and bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSC) were determined. VPA increased osteogenic differentiation in a dose dependent manner. The pretreatment of VPA before induction of differentiation also showed stimulatory effects on osteogenic differentiation of hMSC. Trichostatin A (TSA),another HDAC inhibitor,also increased osteogenic differentiation,whereas valpromide (VPM),a structural analog of VPA which does not possess HDAC inhibitory effects,did not show any effect on osteogenic differentiation on hADSC. RT-PCR and Real-time PCR analysis revealed that VPA treatment increased osterix,osteopontin,BMP-2,and Runx2 expression. The addition of noggin inhibited VPA-induced potentiation of osteogenic differentiation. VPA inhibited proliferation of hADSC and hBMSC. Our results suggest that VPA enhance osteogenic differentiation,probably due to inhibition of HDAC,and could be useful for in vivo bone engineering using hMSC. View Publication

Maintenance of pluripotency is crucial to the mammalian embryo's ability to generate the extra-embryonic and embryonic tissues that are needed for intrauterine survival and foetal development. The recent establishment of embryonic stem cells from human blastocysts (hESCs) provides an opportunity to identify the factors supporting pluripotency at early stages of human development. Using this in vitro model,we have recently shown that Nodal can block neuronal differentiation,suggesting that TGFbeta family members are involved in cell fate decisions of hESCs,including preservation of their pluripotency. Here,we report that Activin/Nodal signalling through Smad2/3 activation is necessary to maintain the pluripotent status of hESCs. Inhibition of Activin/Nodal signalling by follistatin and by overexpression of Lefty or Cerberus-Short,or by the Activin receptor inhibitor SB431542,precipitates hESC differentiation. Nevertheless,neither Nodal nor Activin is sufficient to sustain long-term hESC growth in a chemically defined medium without serum. Recent studies have shown that FGF2 can also maintain long-term expression of pluripotency markers,and we find that inhibition of the FGF signalling pathway by the tyrosine kinase inhibitor SU5402 causes hESC differentiation. However,this effect of FGF on hESC pluripotency depends on Activin/Nodal signalling,because it is blocked by SB431542. Finally,long-term maintenance of in-vitro pluripotency can be achieved with a combination of Activin or Nodal plus FGF2 in the absence of feeder-cell layers,conditioned medium or Serum Replacer. These findings suggest that the Activin/Nodal pathway maintains pluripotency through mechanism(s) in which FGF acts as a competence factor and therefore provide further evidence of distinct mechanisms for preservation of pluripotency in mouse and human ESCs. View Publication

The prospect of manipulating endogenous neural stem cells to replace damaged tissue and correct functional deficits offers a novel mechanism for treating a variety of CNS disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate pathways controlling neurite outgrowth in human neural precursor cells,in particular in response to platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF). PDGF-AA,-AB and -BB were found to initiate calcium signalling and produce robust increases in neurite outgrowth. PDGF-induced outgrowth of Tuj1-positive precursors was abolished by the addition of EGTA,suggesting that calcium entry is a critical part of the signalling pathway. Wortmannin and PD098059 failed to inhibit PDGF-induced outgrowth. Clostridium Toxin B increased the amount of PDGF-induced neurite branching but had no effect on basal levels. In contrast,WHI-P154,an inhibitor of Janus protein tyrosine kinase (JAK3),Hck and Syk,prevented PDGF-induced neurite outgrowth. PDGF activates multiple signalling pathways with considerable potential for cross-talk. This study has highlighted the complexity of the pathways leading to neurite outgrowth in human neural precursors,and provided initial evidence to suggest that calcium entry is critical in producing the morphological changes observed. View Publication

This protocol describes detailed procedures for the fluorescent high-throughput screening of small molecules that induce neurogenesis in cultures of skeletal muscle cells. The detection of neurogenesis relies on a fluorescent dye,FM 1-43,which is used to study the neuronal property of depolarization-induced synaptic vesicle recycling. Thus,small molecules with neurogenesis-inducing activity in skeletal muscle cells can be rapidly identified by measuring the fluorescence intensity of the treated cells using a fluorescent microplate reader. This protocol uses murine myoblast C2C12 cells for screening,which are readily available and relatively easy to culture. Neurogenesis of PC12 cells induced by nerve growth factor is employed as a positive control for this screening. The screening time for this protocol is 8 d,which also includes the procedure to detect depolarization-induced synaptic vesicle recycling using FM 1-43. View Publication

Genetic evidence indicates that Wnt signaling is critically involved in bone homeostasis. In this study,we investigated the functions of canonical Wnts on differentiation of adult multipotent human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) in vitro and in vivo. We observe differential sensitivities of hMSCs to Wnt inhibition of osteogenesis versus adipogenesis,which favors osteoblastic commitment under binary in vitro differentiation conditions. Wnt inhibition of osteogenesis is associated with decreased expression of osteoblastic transcription factors and inhibition of c-Jun N-terminal kinase and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation,which are involved in osteogenic differentiation. An hMSC subpopulation exhibits high endogenous Wnt signaling,the inhibition of which enhances osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation in vitro. In an in vivo bone formation model,high levels of Wnt signaling inhibit de novo bone formation by hMSCs. However,hMSCs with exogenous expression of Wnt1 but not stabilized beta-catenin markedly stimulate bone formation by naive hMSCs,arguing for an important role of a canonical Wnt gradient in hMSC osteogenesis in vivo. View Publication

Differentiation of embryonic and adult myogenic progenitors undergoes a complex series of cell rearrangements and specification events which are controlled by distinct gene regulatory networks. Delineation of the molecular mechanisms that regulate skeletal muscle specification and formation should be important for understanding congenital myopathies and muscular degenerative diseases. Retinoic acid (RA) signaling plays an important role in development. However,the role of RA signaling in adult myogenic progenitors is poorly understood. Here,we investigate the role of RA signaling in regulating myogenic differentiation of myoblastic progenitor cells. Using the mouse myoblast progenitor C2C12 line as a model,we have found that the endogenous expression of most RAR and RXR isotypes is readily detected. While the nuclear receptor co-repressors are highly expressed,two of the three nuclear receptor co-activators and the enzymes involved in RA synthesis are expressed at low level or undetectable,suggesting that the RA signaling pathway may be repressed in myogenic progenitors. Using the alpha-myosin heavy chain promoter-driven reporter (MyHC-GLuc),we have demonstrated that either ATRA or 9CRA is able to effectively induce myogenic differentiation,which can be synergistically enhanced when both ATRA and 9CRA are used. Upon ATRA and 9CRA treatment of C2C12 cells the expression of late myogenic markers significantly increases. We have further shown that adenovirus-mediated exogenous expression of RARalpha and/or RXRalpha is able to effectively induce myogenic differentiation in a ligand-independent fashion. Morphologically,ATRA- and 9CRA-treated C2C12 cells exhibit elongated cell body and become multi-nucleated myoblasts,and even form myoblast fusion. Ultrastructural analysis under transmission electron microscope reveals that RA-treated myogenic progenitor cells exhibit an abundant presence of muscle fibers. Therefore,our results strongly suggest that RA signaling may play an important role in regulating myogenic differentiation. View Publication

To date,studies on T cells in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) have been limited to flow cytometric analysis of whole peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) specimens or functional work looking at the impact of AML myeloblasts on normal or remission T cells. This lack of information on T cells at the time of presentation with disease is due in part to the difficulty in isolating sufficiently pure T cells from these specimens for further study. Negative immunomagnetic selection has been the method of choice for isolating immune cells for functional studies due to concerns that binding antibodies to the cell surface may induce cellular activation,block ligand-receptor interactions or result in immune clearance. In order specifically to study T cells in presentation AML specimens,we set out to develop a method of isolating highly pure CD4 and CD8 T cells by negative selection from the peripheral blood (PB) of newly diagnosed AML patients. This technique,unlike T cell selection from PB from normal individuals or from patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia,was extremely problematic due to properties of the leukaemic myeloblasts. A successful method was eventually optimized requiring the use of a custom antibody cocktail consisting of CD33,CD34,CD123,CD11c and CD36,to deplete myeloblasts. View Publication

BACKGROUND: MicroRNAs are required for maintenance of pluripotency as well as differentiation,but since more microRNAs have been computationally predicted in genome than have been found,there are likely to be undiscovered microRNAs expressed early in stem cell differentiation. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: SOLiD ultra-deep sequencing identified textgreater10(7) unique small RNAs from human embryonic stem cells (hESC) and neural-restricted precursors that were fit to a model of microRNA biogenesis to computationally predict 818 new microRNA genes. These predicted genomic loci are associated with chromatin patterns of modified histones that are predictive of regulated gene expression. 146 of the predicted microRNAs were enriched in Ago2-containing complexes along with 609 known microRNAs,demonstrating association with a functional RISC complex. This Ago2 IP-selected subset was consistently expressed in four independent hESC lines and exhibited complex patterns of regulation over development similar to previously-known microRNAs,including pluripotency-specific expression in both hESC and iPS cells. More than 30% of the Ago2 IP-enriched predicted microRNAs are new members of existing families since they share seed sequences with known microRNAs. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Extending the classic definition of microRNAs,this large number of new microRNA genes,the majority of which are less conserved than their canonical counterparts,likely represent evolutionarily recent regulators of early differentiation. The enrichment in Ago2 containing complexes,the presence of chromatin marks indicative of regulated gene expression,and differential expression over development all support the identification of 146 new microRNAs active during early hESC differentiation. View Publication