The transplantation of neural stem cells (NSCs) capable of regenerating to the cells of the central nervous system (CNS) is a promising strategy in the treatment of CNS diseases and injury. As previous studies have highlighted mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) as a source of NSCs, this study aimed to develop a feasible, efficient, and reproducible method for the neural induction of MSCs isolated from Wharton's jelly (hWJ-MSCs). We induced neural differentiation in a monolayer culture using epidermal growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, N2, and B27 supplements. This resulted in a homogenous population of proliferating cells that expressed certain neural markers at both the protein and mRNA levels. Flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry confirmed the expression of neural markers: nestin, sex-determining region Y (SRY) box 1 and 2 (SOX1 and SOX2), microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). The qRT-PCR analysis revealed significantly enhanced expression of nestin and MAP2 in differentiated cells. This study confirms that it is possible to generate NSCs-like cells from hWJ-MSCs in a 2D culture using a practical method. However, the therapeutic effectiveness of such differentiated cells should be extended to confirm the terminal differentiation ability and electrophysiological properties of neurons derived from them.
S., Sobotka W., Kotwica G. 2016. Effect of short-lasting undernutrition of gilts during peri-conceptional period on biochemical and haematological parameters in blood plasma during peri-implantation period.
AbstractIn gilts, the period of early pregnancy occurring from the time of fertilization to the beginning of implantation is sensitive to any environmental disruptions, including an unbalanced diet of a future mother. Previously, we found that due to the undernutrition in gilts during this period, the endocrine intrauterine microenvironment and DNA methylation in the uterus have been changed. These distortions may diminish the success of pregnancy. In this study we focused on the influence of a restricted diet used in gilts during the first days of pregnancy on their biochemical and haematological parameters in peripheral blood. The applied restrictive diet vs. normal diet covered only 70% of the nutritional demands of early pregnant gilts. Normal (n = 4 gilts) or restrictive (n = 5 gilts) diets were used from the day of the first signs of the estrus until day 9 of pregnancy and biochemical and haematological parameters in blood plasma were determined during peri-implantation period, e.g. on days 15 to16 of pregnancy. In restrictive vs. normal fed gilts significantly lower plasma phosphorus, calcium and total cholesterol as well as the tendency to increasing concentrations of triglicerydes and asparate aminotranserase were found. Haematological parameters did not differ between the studied gilts. Thus, it seems that the availability of nutritional factors became suboptimal in restrictively fed early pregnant gilts. Even short-lasting undernutrition of females during the peri-conceptional period may cause a disruption of biochemical homeostasis during the peri-implantation period and probably affect the success of pregnancy.
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