Delivery of epidermal neural crest stem cells (EPI-NCSC) to hippocamp in Alzheimer's disease rat model

Effect of Metformin on Epidermal Neural Crest Stem Cells and Their Potential Application in Ameliorating Paclitaxel-induced Neurotoxicity Phenotype

AIMS

Epidermal Neural Crest Stem Cells (EPI-NCSCs) have emerged as prospective ideal candidates to meet the fundamental requirements of cell-based therapies in neurodegenerative disorders. The present study aimed to identify the potential of metformin in driving EPI-NCSCs to neuronal/glial differentiation and express neurotrophic factors as well as assess their therapeutic potential for mitigating the main behavioral manifestations of chemotherapy-induced neurotoxicity (CIN).

MAIN METHODS

EPI-NCSCs were extracted from the bulge region of hair follicle. Following expansion, transcript and protein expression profiles of key markers for stemness (Nestin, EGR-1, SOX-2 and 10), neurotrophic activity (BDNF, GDNF, NGF, FGF-2, and IL-6), and neuronal (TUB3, DCX, NRF and NeuN) and glial (PDGFRα, NG2, GFAP, and MBP) differentiation were determined on days 1 and 7 post-treatment with 10 and 100 μM metformin using real time-PCR and immunocytochemistry methods. Then, the in vivo function of metformin-treated stem cells was evaluated in the context of paclitaxel CIN. To do so, thermal hyperalgesia, mechanical allodynia, and spatial learning and memory tests were evaluated by Hotplate, Von Frey, and Morris water maze tests.

KEY FINDINGS

Our result indicated that exposure of EPI-NCSCs to metformin was associated with progressive decline in stemness markers and enhanced expression levels of several neurotrophic, neuron and oligodendrocyte-specific markers. Further, it was observed that intranasal metformin-treated EPI-NCSCs improved the cognitive impairment, and mechanical and thermal hypersensitivity induced by paclitaxel in rats.

SIGNIFICANCE

Collectively, we reasoned that metformin pretreatment of EPI-NCSCs might further enhance their therapeutic benefits against CIN.

Combination Therapy with Platelet-Rich Plasma and Epidermal Neural Crest Stem Cells Increases Treatment Efficacy in Vascular Dementia

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and treatment mechanism of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and neural crest-derived epidermal stem cells (ESCs) in their administration alone and combination in vascular dementia (VaD) model by two-vessel occlusion (2VO). Methods. Sixty-six rats were divided into six groups: the control, sham, 2VO + vehicle, 2VO + PRP, 2VO + ESC, and 2VO + ESC + PRP. The treated groups received 1 million cells on days 4, 14, and 21 with or without 500 µl PRP (twice a week) after 2VO. The memory performance and anxiety were evaluated by behavioral tests including open field, passive avoidance, and Morris water maze. The basal-synaptic transmission (BST) and long-term potentiation (LTP) were assessed through field-potential recordings of the CA1. The mRNA expression levels of IGF-1, TGF-β1, PSD-95, and GSk-3β were measured in the rat hippocampus by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Results. The results demonstrated impaired learning, memory, and synaptic plasticity in the 2VO rats, along with a significant decrease in the expression of IGF-1, TGF-β1, PSD-95, and upregulation of GSK-3β. Treatment with ESC alone and ESC + PRP showed similar improvements in spatial memory and LTP induction, with associated upregulation of PSD-95 and downregulation of GSK-3β. However, only the ESC + PRP group showed recovery in BST. Furthermore, combination therapy was more effective than PRP monotherapy for LTP and memory. Conclusions. The transplantation of ESC showed better effects than PRP alone, and combination therapy increased the treatment efficacy with the recovery of BST. This finding may be a clue for the combination therapy of ESC and PRP for VaD.

An update on stem cell and stem cell-derived extracellular vesicle-based therapy in the management of Alzheimer's disease

Globally, neurological diseases pose a major burden to healthcare professionals in terms of the management and prevention of the disorder. Among neurological diseases, Alzheimer's disease (AD) accounts for 50%-70% of dementia and is the fifth leading cause of mortality worldwide. AD is a progressive, degenerative neurological disease, with the loss of neurons and synapses in the cerebral cortex and subcortical regions. The management of AD remains a debate among physicians as no standard and specific "disease-modifying" modality is available. The concept of 'Regenerative Medicine' is aimed at regenerating the degenerated neural tissues to reverse the pathology in AD. Genetically modified engineered stem cells modify the course of AD after transplantation into the brain. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are an emerging new approach in cell communication that involves the transfer of cellular materials from parental cells to recipient cells, resulting in changes at the molecular and signaling levels in the recipient cells. EVs are a type of vesicle that can be transported between cells. Many have proposed that EVs produced from mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may have therapeutic promise in the treatment of AD. The biology of AD, as well as the potential applications of stem cells and their derived EVs-based therapy, were explored in this paper.

Therapeutic potential of hair follicle-derived stem cell intranasal transplantation in a rat model of ischemic stroke

BACKGROUND

Stem cell-based therapy has received considerable attention as a potential candidate in the treatment of ischemic stroke; however, employing an appropriate type of stem cells and an effective delivery route are still challenging. In the present study, we investigated the therapeutic effect of safe, noninvasive, and brain-targeted intranasal administration of hair follicle-derived stem cells (HFSCs) in a rat model of ischemic stroke.

METHODS

Stem cells were obtained from the adult rat hair follicles. In experiment 1, stroke was induced by 30 min middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and stem cells were intranasally transplanted immediately after ischemia. In experiment 2, stroke was induced by 120 min MCAO and stem cells were administered 24 h after cerebral ischemia. In all experimental groups, neurological performance, short-term spatial working memory and infarct volume were assessed. Moreover, relative expression of major trophic factors in the striatum and cortex was evaluated by the quantitative PCR technique. The end point of experiment 1 was day 3 and the end point of experiment 2 was day 15.

RESULTS

In both experiments, intranasal administration of HFSCs improved functional performance and decreased infarct volume compared to the MCAO rats. Furthermore, NeuN and VEGF expression were higher in the transplanted group and stem cell therapy partially prevented BDNF and neurotrophin-3 over-expression induced by cerebral ischemia.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the curative potential of HFSCs following intranasal transplantation in a rat model of ischemic stroke.

Augmenting Peripheral Nerve Regeneration Using Hair Follicle Stem Cells in Rats

Introduction

Cell therapy is the most advanced treatment of peripheral nerve injury. This study aimed to determine the effects of transplantation of hair follicle stem cells on the regeneration of the sciatic nerve injury in rats.

Methods

The bulge region of the rat whisker were isolated and cultured. Morphological and biological features of the cultured bulge cells were observed by light microscopy and immunocytochemistry methods. Percentages of CD34, K15, and nestin cell markers expression were demonstrated by flow cytometry. Rats were randomly divided into 3 groups of injury, epineurium, and epineurium with cells in which rat Hair Follicular Stem Cells (rHFSCs) were injected into the site of the nerve cut. HFSCs were labeled with Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU), and double-labeling immunofluorescence was performed to study the survival and differentiation of the grafted cells. After 8 weeks, electrophysiological, histological, and immunocytochemical analysis assessments were performed.

Results

Rat hair follicle stem cells are suitable for cell culture, proliferation, and differentiation. The results suggest that transplantation of rat hair follicle stem cells can regenerate sciatic nerve injury; moreover, electrophysiology and histology examinations show that sciatic nerve repair was more effective in the epineurium with cell group than in the other experimental group (P<0.05).

Conclusion

The achieved results propose that hair follicle stem cells improve axonal growth and functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury.

Highlights

This study showed that rat hair follicle stem cells are suitable for cell culture, proliferation and differentiationThe results suggested that transplantation of rat hair follicle stem cells had the potential capability of regenerating sciatic nerve injuryEvidence of electrophysiology and histology showed Concomitant use of epineurium with hair follicle stem cell was more effective repairment.

Plain Language Summary

Although repairing damaged peripheral nerves has always been a medical challenge, but peripheral nerve injury has been successfully repaired using various procedures such as nerve auto-graft or stem cell therapy. The functional reconstruction is the most important after therapy because of that primary nerve repair or use of nerve autograft, are still accepted as golden standard methods for treatment. Considerable recent interest has been focused on adult stem cells for both research and clinical applications. A highly promising source of relatively abundant and accessible, active, multipotent adult stem cells are obtained from hair follicles. In research the hair follicle stem cells implanted into the gap region of a severed sciatic nerve injury greatly enhanced the rate of nerve regeneration and the restoration of nerve function. Time is one of the several aspects require specific attention in the clinical treatment of peripheral nerve injury. Because delay of nerve injury treatment may cause neurobiological alterations in neurons and Schwann cells, impairing nerve functional recovery and affect neuron survival. In this study, concluded that stem cell injection 2 weeks after injury in the damaged nerve epineurium repairs nerve fibers, while electrophysiology of the leg muscles showed that muscle function was significantly improved. It indicates the repair of muscular innervation and nerve repair. The results pave the way for further research on this topic.

Transplanted hair follicle stem cells migrate to the penumbra and express neural markers in a rat model of cerebral ischaemia/reperfusion

BACKGROUND

Ischaemic stroke has become the main cause of death and severe neurological disorders, for which effective restorative treatments are currently limited. While stem cell transplantation offers therapeutic potential through neural regeneration, this approach is associated with the challenges of limited applicable sources. Hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) are multipotential cells that can differentiate into ectodermal and mesodermal lineages and proliferate for long periods. The therapeutic potentials of HFSCs have not been investigated in ischaemic stroke models, and therefore, in this study, we aimed to determine whether they could survive and migrate to ischaemic areas after a stroke attack.

METHODS

A rat model of middle cerebral artery ischaemia/reperfusion was established and intravenously administered HFSCs. The potential of HFSCs to migrate and differentiate into neuron-like cells as well as their ability to reduce the infarct size was evaluated. Rat brain tissue samples were collected 2 weeks after cell transplantation and analysed via TTC staining, immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry methods. The data were statistically analysed and presented as the means ± standard deviations.

RESULTS

Intravenously administrated rat HFSCs were able to migrate to the penumbra where they expressed neuron-specific markers, reduced the infarct volume and promoted neurological recovery.

CONCLUSION

HFSC transplantation has therapeutic potential for ischaemic stroke and is, therefore, worthy of further investigation toward possible clinical development for treating stroke patients.

Epidermal neural crest stem cell transplantation as a promising therapeutic strategy for ischemic stroke

Introduction

Cell‐based therapy is considered as promising strategy to cure stroke. However, employing appropriate type of stem cell to fulfill many therapeutic needs of cerebral ischemia is still challenging. In this regard, the current study was designed to elucidate therapeutic potential of epidermal neural crest stem cells (EPI‐NCSCs) compared to bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM‐MSCs) in rat model of ischemic stroke.

Methods

Ischemic stroke was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 45 minutes. Immediately after reperfusion, EPI‐NCSCs or BM‐MSCs were transplanted via intra‐arterial or intravenous route. A test for neurological function was performed before ischemia and 1, 3, and 7 days after MCAO. Also, infarct volume ratio and relative expression of 15 selected target genes were evaluated 7 days after transplantation.

Results

EPI‐NCSCs transplantation (both intra‐arterial and intravenous) and BM‐MSCs transplantation (only intra‐arterial) tended to result in a better functional outcome, compared to the MCAO group; however, this difference was not statistically significant. The infarct volume ratio significantly decreased in NCSC‐intra‐arterial, NCSC‐intravenous and MSC‐intra‐arterial groups compared to the control. EPI‐NCSCs interventions led to higher expression levels of Bdnf, nestin, Sox10, doublecortin, β‐III tubulin, Gfap, and interleukin‐6, whereas neurotrophin‐3 and interleukin‐10 were decreased. On the other hand, BM‐MSCs therapy resulted in upregulation of Gdnf, β‐III tubulin, and Gfap and down‐regulation of neurotrophin‐3, interleukin‐1, and interleukin‐10.

Conclusion

These findings highlight the therapeutic effects of EPI‐NCSCs transplantation, probably through simultaneous induction of neuronal and glial formation, as well as Bdnf over‐expression in a rat model of ischemic stroke.

Simvastatin Attenuates Hippocampal MMP-9 Expression in the Streptozotocin-Induced Cognitive Impairment

BACKGROUND

Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) expression has been implicated in molecular mechanisms of neurodegenerative disorders, and its abnormal level has been reported in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Some protective mechanisms of statins against neurodegeneration might be mediated by the inhibition of MMP-9 expression. Here, we investigated the effect of simvastatin on the hippocampal MMP-9 expression in the context of AD.

METHODS

We examined the influence of three-week simvastatin (5 mg/kg) administration on hippocampal MMP-9 expression in a rat model of cognitive decline induced by streptozotocin (STZ). Spatial long-term memory and MMP-9 expression were assessed by Morris water maze (MWM) test and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively.

RESULTS

The results showed a decline in the learning and memory in STZ group when compared with the control group. The MMP-9 up-regulated (1.41 ± 0.2 vs. 0.980 ± 0.02, p < 0.05), and cresyl violet staining showed hippocampal cell damage in STZ group compared with the control group. Simvastatin prevented the up-regulation of MMP-9 (1.05 ± 0.05 vs. 1.41 ± 0.2, p < 0.05), improved spatial memory impairment and attenuated hippocampal cell damage. Furthermore, we found a negative correlation (r = 0.77) between MMP-9 expression and cognitive function.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that the neuroprotective influence of simvastatin in battle to cognitive impairment is mediated in part by the modulation of MMP-9 expression. The reduction of MMP-9 expression in simvastatin-treated animals is in correlation with the improvement of cognitive functions. Understanding the protective mechanism of simvastatin will shed light on more efficient therapeutic modalities in AD.

In vitro induction effect of 1,25(OH)2D3 on differentiation of hair follicle stem cell into keratinocyte

Background

Stem cells are characterized by self-renewal and differentiation capabilities. The bulge hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) are able to convert to epithelial components. The active metabolite of vitamin D, 1,25(OH)₂D₃, plays important roles in this differentiation process. In the present study has found that 1,25(OH)₂D₃ induces the HFSCs differentiation into keratinocyte.

Methods

HFSCs are isolated from rat whiskers and cultivated in DMEM medium. To isolate bulge stem cell population, flow cytometry and immunocytochemistry using K15, CD34 and nestin biomarkers were performed. In order to accelerate the HFSCs differentiation into keratinocyte, HFSCs were treated with 10⁻¹² M, 1,25(OH)₂D₃ every 48 h for a week.

Results

Immunocytochemistry results showed that bulge stem cells are nestin and CD34 positive but K15 negative before differentiation. Subsequently flow cytometry results, showed that the expression of nestin, CD34 and K15 were 70.96%, 93.03% and 6.88% respectively. After differentiation, the immunocytochemical and flow cytometry results indicated that differentiated cells have positive reaction to K15 with 68.94% expression level.

Conclusion

It was concluded that 10⁻¹² M, 1,25(OH)₂D₃ could induce the HFSCs differentiation into keratinocytes.

The role of biodegradable engineered random polycaprolactone nanofiber scaffolds seeded with nestin-positive hair follicle stem cells for tissue engineering

Background:

Tissue engineering is a new approach to reconstruction and/or regeneration of lost or damaged tissue. The purpose of this study was to fabricate the polycaprolactone (PCL) random nanofiber scaffold as well as evaluation of the cell viability, adhesion, and proliferation of rat nestin-positive hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) in the graft material using electrospun PCL nanofiber scaffold in regeneration medicine.

Materials and Methods:

The bulge HFSCs was isolated from rat whiskers and cultivated in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium/F12. To evaluate the biological nature of the bulge stem cells, flow cytometry using nestin, CD34 and K15 antibodies was performed. Electrospinning was used for the production of PCL nanofiber scaffolds. Furthermore, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for HFSCs attachment, infiltration, and morphology, 3-(4, 5-di-methylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay for cell viability and cytotoxicity, tensile strength of the scaffolds mesh, and histology analysis were used.

Results:

Flow cytometry showed that HFSCs were nestin and CD34 positive but K15 negative. The results of the MTT assay showed cell viability and cell proliferation of the HFSCs on PCL nanofiber scaffolds. SEM microscopy photographs indicated that HFSCs are attached and spread on PCL nanofiber scaffolds. Furthermore, tensile strength of the scaffolds mesh was measured.

Conclusion:

The results of this study revealed that modified PCL nanofiber scaffolds are suitable for HFSCs seeding, attachment, and proliferation. Furthermore, HFSCs are attached and proliferated on PCL nanofiber scaffolds.

Effects of stem cell transplantation on cognitive decline in animal models of Alzheimer's disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), an irreversible progressive neurodegenerative disease, causes characteristic cognitive impairment, and no curative treatments are currently available. Stem cell transplantation offers a powerful tool for the treatment of AD. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of data from controlled studies to study the impact of stem cell biology and experimental design on learning and memory function following stem cell transplantation in animal models of AD. A total of 58 eligible controlled studies were included by searching PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science up to April 13, 2015. Meta-analysis showed that stem cell transplantation could promote both learning and memory recovery. Stratified meta-analysis was used to explore the influence of the potential factors on the estimated effect size, and meta-regression analyses were undertaken to explore the sources of heterogeneity for learning and memory function. Publication bias was assessed using funnel plots and Egger’s test. The present review reinforces the evidence supporting stem cell transplantation in experimental AD. However, it highlights areas that require well-designed and well-reported animal studies.

Hair follicle stem cells: In vitro and in vivo neural differentiation

Hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) normally give rise to keratinocytes, sebocytes, and transient amplifying progenitor cells. Along with the capacity to proliferate rapidly, HFSCs provide the basis for establishing a putative source of stem cells for cell therapy. HFSCs are multipotent stem cells originating from the bulge area. The importance of these cells arises from two important characteristics, distinguishing them from all other adult stem cells. First, they are accessible and proliferate for long periods. Second, they are multipotent, possessing the ability to differentiate into mesodermal and ectodermal cell types. In addition to a developmental capacity in vitro, HFSCs display an ability to form differentiated cells in vivo. During the last two decades, numerous studies have led to the development of an appropriate culture condition for producing various cell lineages from HFSCs. Therefore, these stem cells are considered as a novel source for cell therapy of a broad spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders. This review presents the current status of human, rat, and mouse HFSCs from both the cellular and molecular biology and cell therapy perspectives. The first section of this review highlights the importance of HFSCs and in vitro differentiation, while the final section emphasizes the significance of cell differentiation in vivo.

The synergistic effects of heat shock protein 70 and ginsenoside Rg1 against tert-butyl hydroperoxide damage model in vitro

Neural stem cells (NSCs) transplanted is one of the hottest research to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD), but cholinergic neurons from stem cells were also susceptible to cell death which Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) was affirmed to reverse. Related to cognitive impairment, cholinergic nervous cells should be investigated and ginsenoside Rg1 (G-Rg1) was considered to increase them. We chose tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) damage model to study in vitro. Functional properties of our recombination plasmid pEGFP-C2-HSP70 were affirmed by SH-SY5Y cells. To opposite the transitory appearance of HSP70, NSCs used as the vectors of HSP70 gene overexpressed HSP70 for at least 7 days in vitro. After transfection for 3 days, G-Rg1 pretreatment for 4 hours, and coculture for 3 days, the expression of acetylcholinesterase (ChAT), synaptophysin, and the ratio of NeuN and GFAP were assessed by western blot; Morphological properties were detected by 3D reconstruction and immunofluorescence. ChAT was markedly improved in the groups contained G-Rg1. In coculture system, the ratio of neurons/astrocytes and the filaments of neurons were increased; apoptosis cells were decreased, compared to monotherapy (P < 0.05). In conclusion, we demonstrated that, as a safe cotreatment affirmed in vitro, overexpression of HSP70 in NSCs plus G-Rg1 promoted nervous cells regeneration from chronic oxidative damage.

In vitro neural differentiation of CD34 (+) stem cell populations in hair follicles by three different neural induction protocols

Differentiation of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) into neurons and glial cells represents a promising cell-based therapy for neurodegenerative diseases. The hair follicle bulge area is reported as a putative source of new stem cell population for many years. In vitro studies have implicated neural differentiation of HFSCs. Here, we report the identification and purification of CD34 (+) cells from hair follicle by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS). We next determined the cytotoxic effects of all-trans retinoic acid (RA) by using cell viability assays. Moreover, the neural differentiation potential of CD34 (+) cells was evaluated in the presence of RA, serum-free condition, and neural differentiation medium (NDM) treatments by using immunocytochemistry and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Our results showed that the isolated CD34 (+) stem cells were 12% of the total cells in the bulge area, and the neural cells derived from the stem cells expressed nestin, microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Interestingly, all the neural induction media supported neuronal differentiation most effectively, but treatment with serum-free medium significantly increased the number of GFAP-positive glial cells. Moreover, increasing RA concentration (≥10 μM) leads to increased cell death in the cells, but a lower concentration of RA (1 μM) treatment results in a decrease in CD34-expressing stem cells. These findings show an instructive neuronal effect of three neural induction media in HFSCs, indicating the important role of this induction media in the specification of the stem cells toward a neural phenotype.

Alzheimer's disease and stem cell therapy

The loss of neuronal cells in the central nervous system may occur in many neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimer's disease is a common senile disease in people over 65 years, and it causes impairment characterized by the decline of mental function, including memory loss and cognitive impairment, and affects the quality of life of patients. However, the current therapeutic strategies against AD are only to relieve symptoms, but not to cure it. Because there are only a few therapeutic strategies against Alzheimer's disease, we need to understand the pathogenesis of this disease. Cell therapy may be a powerful tool for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. This review will discuss the characteristics of Alzheimer's disease and various available therapeutic strategies.

Rat hair follicle stem cells differentiate and promote recovery following spinal cord injury

Emerging studies of treating spinal cord injury (SCI) with adult stem cells led us to evaluate the effects of transplantation of hair follicle stem cells in rats with a compression-induced spinal cord lesion. Here, we proposed a hypothesis that rat hair follicle stem cell transplantation can promote the recovery of injured spinal cord. Compression-induced spinal cord injury was induced in Wistar rats in this study. The bulge area of the rat vibrissa follicles was isolated, cultivated and characterized with nestin as a stem cell marker. 5-Bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) labeled bulge stem cells were transplanted into rats with spinal cord injury. Immunohistochemical staining results showed that some of the grafted cells could survive and differentiate into oligodendrocytes (receptor-interacting protein positive cells) and neuronal-like cells (βIII-tubulin positive cells) at 3 weeks after transplantation. In addition, recovery of hind limb locomotor function in spinal cord injury rats at 8 weeks following cell transplantation was assessed using the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale. The results demonstrate that the grafted hair follicle stem cells can survive for a long time period in vivo and differentiate into neuronal- and glial-like cells. These results suggest that hair follicle stem cells can promote the recovery of spinal cord injury.

Evaluation of the Effect of NT-3 and Biodegradable Poly-L-lactic Acid Nanofiber Scaffolds on Differentiation of Rat Hair Follicle Stem Cells into Neural Cells In Vitro

Recent improvement in neuroscience has led to new strategies in neural repair. Hair follicle stem cells are high promising source of accessible, active, and pluripotent adult stem cells. They have high affinity to differentiate to neurons. Aside from using cell-scaffold combinations for implantation, scaffolds can provide a suitable microenvironment for cell proliferation, migration, and differentiation. NT-3 is the most interesting neurotrophic factors being an important regulator of neural survival and differentiation. Since treatment duration in neural repair is very important, this study aims to evaluate the effect of NT-3 and poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) on differentiation time of bulge stem cells of rat hair follicle to neural-like cells. HFSCs of rat whisker was isolated and cultured on PLLA and differentiated with 10 ng/mL NT-3. Biological features of cultured cells were evaluated with immunocytochemistry and flowcytometry methods by using CD34, nestin, and βІІІ-tubulin markers. For cell viability and morphological assessment, MTT assay and SEM were performed. Our results showed that bulge stem cells of hair follicle can express CD34 and Nestin before differentiation. By using NT-3 during differentiation process, the cells showed positive reaction to βІІІ-tubulin antibody. MTT results demonstrated that PLLA significantly increased cell viability. Finally, HFSCs adhesion was confirmed by SEM results. The results indicate that 10 ng/mL NT-3 and PLLA have significant effect on differentiation time of rat HFSCs to neural cells even in 10 days.

Panax notoginsenoside Rb1 ameliorates Alzheimer's disease by upregulating brain-derived neurotrophic factor and downregulating Tau protein expression

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder and the main cause of dementia. Panax notoginsenoside Rb1 (PNRb1), which is also known as (3β,12β)-20-[(6-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl)oxy]-12-hydroxydammar-24-en-3-yl 2-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-β-D-glucopyranoside and is the main active component of the plant Panax notoginseng, is effective in treating AD. However, the mechanisms of PNRb1 remain unknown. In the present study, rat brain tissue sections were pretreated with PNRb1 and then induced by okadaic acid to establish brain slice models of AD. The results of qPCR and immunoblot analyses demonstrated that PNRb1 suppressed the protein expression of phosphorylated Tau and upregulated the expression levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). These results suggest that PNRb1 is able to upregulate the protein level of BDNF and downregulate Tau protein phosphorylation in AD.