BACKGROUND:Mesenchymal stem cel s can differentiate into nerve cel s by chemical induction or co-culture method, but whether mesenchymal stem cel s co-cultured with Schwann cel s differentiate into neuronal-like cel s or Schwann-like cel s is stil controversial.
OBJECTIVE:To explore the inductive role of Schwann cel s derived from rats in the differentiation of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cel s.
METHODS:Cocultures of human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cel s (1×109/L) and Schwann cel s (1×109/L) from neonatal rats were performed using transwel culture dishes. After 2 weeks of cocultures, morphology of the cultured human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cel s was observed, and the phenotypic changes of cel s were also detected with immumocytochemistry techniques.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:After 2 weeks of cocultures, some differentiated cel s showed neuron-like morphology, and expressed nestin, NF-200 andβ-III-tubulin, but did not express Schwann cel special marker S100 and oligodendrocytes special marker MAB1580. These findings indicate that human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cel s can transdifferentiate into neuronal-like cel s by cocultures with rat’s Schwann cel s.

Objective To investigate the effects of labeling Schwann cells with different concentrations of SPIO, and to investigate the feasibility of in vitro MR imaging. Methods The C57BL/6 mices'Schwann cells were isolated, purified, and then 0.5 × 106, 1.0 × 106, 5.0 × 106 cells were labeled with 25.0 μg/ml, 50.0 μg/ml SPIO. Prussian blue stain and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were performed for showing intracellular iron. The signal intensity of cells were evaluated by 3.0 MRI with different sequences in vitro. Results Different cell population (0.5 × 106, 1.0 × 106,5.0 × 106) were cultured with different concentration SPIO about 24 hours. Dyeing degree of labeling cells stained by Prussion blue gradually deepened from 25.0 μg/ml to 50.0 μg/ml. Transmission electron microscope indicated that iron particles accumulated inendosomes/lysosomes. The MR signal intensity of labeling cells were inversely correlated with the concentration of SPIO groups in T2WI and GRE/30° imaging in vitro. Conclusion Schwann cells could be labeled effectively with SPIO, and MRI could be used to monitor these labeled cells in vitro.