The survival differentiation and migration of skin-derived neural stem cells in injured spinal cord of rat

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether the skin-derived neural stem cells inducted by the culture could survive, differentiate and migrate in the lesioned site of rat spinal cord. Methods: The skin of new born rat trans-gene of green fluorescence protein(GFP) was applied to be dissociated into cells, cultured and inducted to proliferate in vitro. Skin-derived neural stem cells were identified by immunocytochemistry staining. Then, skin-derived neural stem cells inducted by the culture were transplanted into the lesioned site of rat spinal cord hemisection. Thirty days and sixty days after the operation, the survival, migration and differentiation of transplanted cells were observed by immunocytochemistry staining. Results: Ten days at cultured skin-dissociated cells, many cell-spheres had been formed by the proliferation of suspensive growing cells. These cell-spheres showed nestin positive staining of immunocytochemistry. It suggestes that the cell-spheres are neurospheres. In vivo, many transplanted skin-derived neural stem cells with GFP were observed in the lesioned area of spinal cord. Some transplanted cells migrated into host spinal cord tissue far away from the lesioned area. Some transplanted surviving cells showed nestin, MAP2 and GFAP positive staining of immunocytochemistry separately. Conclusion: Skin-derived ne ural stem cells inducted by the culture may survive, migrate and differentiate into neuron-like cells and astrocyte-like cells in injured spinal cord of rat.