J Genet Med.  2015 Jun;12(1):31-37. 10.5734/JGM.2015.12.1.31.

Neurogenic potentials of human amniotic fluid-derived stem cells according to expression levels of stem cell markers and ingredients of induction medium

• Lim EH
• Cho JA
• Park H
• Song TJ
• Kim WY
• Kim KH
• Lee KW

• KMID: 2055587
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5734/JGM.2015.12.1.31

Abstract

PURPOSE
We investigated the neurogenic potentials of amniotic fluid-derived stem cells (AFSCs) according to the expression levels of stem cell markers and ingredients in the neural induction media.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Four samples of AFSCs with different levels of Oct-4 and c-kit expression were differentiated neurally, using three kinds of induction media containing retinoic acid (RA) and/or a mixture of 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine/indomethacin/insulin (neuromix), and examined by immunofluorescence and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for their expression of neurospecific markers.
RESULTS
The cells in neuromix-containing media displayed small nuclei and long processes that were characteristic of neural cells. RT-PCR analysis revealed that the number of neural markers showing upregulation was greater in cells cultured in the neuromix-containing media than in those cultured in RA-only medium. Neurospecific gene expression was also higher in Oct-4 and c-kit double-positive cells than in c-kit-low or -negative cells.
CONCLUSION
The stem cell marker c-kit (rather than Oct-4) and the ingredient neuromix (rather than RA) exert greater effects on neurogenesis of AFSCs.

Keyword

Stem cells; Amniotic fluid; Neurogenesis

MeSH Terms

Amniotic Fluid
Female
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
Gene Expression
Humans
Neurogenesis
Stem Cells*
Tretinoin
Up-Regulation
Tretinoin