The Growth and Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells When Co-cultured with Astrocytes

Objective:To study the effect of astrocytes on the growth and differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs)when co-cultured with astrocytes.Methods:MSCs were isolated from Wistar rats and co-cultured with astrocytes in DMEM/F12/10%FBS,after being labeled with Hoechst33342.Afterwards,growth status,morphologic changes and expressions of specific proteins NeuN,GFAP and CNP of MSCs were investigated.Results:The two kinds of the co-cultured cells grew well.Some labeled MSCs stretched out long processes and displayed spins,triangles and took star-like shapes.Immunofluorescent stainning showed that these cells expressed NeuN,GFAP or CNP.Conclusion:Astrocytes can enhance the growth of co-cultured MSCs and induce them to differentiate into neuron-like cells to some degree.