OBJECTIVETo isolate and purify the human periodontal ligament stem cells (PDLSC) and investigate the differentiation potentials of PDLSC into neuron-like cells in vitro.

METHODSPDLSC were isolated and cultivated. PDLSC of passage 2 was plated at a density of 5 x 10(3) per mL. At 80% confluence, the PDLSC were preinduced for 24 hours, and were subsequently replaced with an inducing medium containing certain concentration of 13-mercaptoethanal (beta-ME). After 6 hours of induction, the results were evaluated by morphological observation, immunocytochemical staining for neuron specific enolase (NSE), neurofilament (NF) and glial fibrillary acid protein (GFAP) expression and RT-PCR for NSE, NF, GFAP mRNA. Meanwhile, the uninduced PDLSC were used as a negative control.

RESULTSPDLSC could be differentiate into cells with typical neuronal morphology. Immunohisto-chemistry and RT-PCR confirmed that the induced cells expressed NSE and NF, two marked enzymes of neuron cell.

CONCLUSIONPDLSC can be induced into neuron-like cells in vitro. PDLSC have the capability of multilineage differentiations.