OBJECTIVETo study the multi-lineage potential of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from transgenic mice with green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene in vitro.

METHODSA 6-week-old GFP transgenic mouse was executed by dislocation of cervical vertebra, and the marrow in tibia and thighbone was washed out with asepsis. The limited cell strains of MSCs derived from GFP transgenic mice (GFP-MSCs) were obtained with density gradient centrifugation. The passage 3 GFP-MSCs were induced to differentiate into osteoblast, adippcyte, neuron with solution of calcium induction medium, adipogenic medium and neural induction medium respectively. After being calcium-induced, the activity of alkaline phosphatase on GFP-MSCs was determined by micro-plate reader, and alizarin red staining was performed to test the formation of calcium concentration. The adipo-induced MSCs were detected with oil red O staining. Immunocytochemical staining was performed to detect the expression of NSE on neuron-induced MSCs.

RESULTSThe ALP activity of GFP-MSCs heightened gradually along with being calcium-induced, and alizarin red staining showed positive. Oil red O staining of adipo-induced cells and NSE immunocytochemical staining of neuron-induced cells demonstrated positive.

CONCLUSIONThe limited cell strain of GFP-MSCs possesses multi-lineage potential, which can be used as an efficient tracking facility for studying the mechanism of multi-lineage potential on the MSCs.