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[Rapid differentiation of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cellsinto insulin-secreting cells under the sole induction of biological products.] [Ariticle in Chinese]

WANG Yue-Chun, ZHANG Yuan, DUAN A-Lin, LIN Wei-Xia, ZHENG Qiao-Dan, XU Wen-Lu

Department of Physiology； Institute of Hematology, Jinan University Medical College, Guangzhou 510632, China

Abstract

In order to explore the feasibility of inducing the human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) todifferentiate into insulin-secreting cells with biological products alone, hUC-MSCs were separated and purified from the wholeumbilical cord by the sequent digestion of collagenase II and trypsin followed by two-step centrifugation. hUC-MSCs were inducedwith IMDM culture medium containing epidermal growth factor (EGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and Ginkgo bilobaextract (GBE). Before and after the induction, the morphological changes were observed under inverse microscope; the islet-relatedgenes were detected by RT-PCR; islet-like clusters (ILCs) were identified by dithizone (DTZ) staining; PDX-1 and immunoreactiveinsulin (IRI) were examined by immunofluorescence method; the quantity and quality of IRI secretion were assayed by chemiluminescenceimmunoassay and Western blot respectively. The results showed that the purified hUC-MSCs presented long spindle-like shapeand parallel or spiral arrangement which are typical morphological features of MSCs. After the induction, hUC-MSCs changedgradually into round or oval shape and gathered together to form ILCs; there were more than one hundred clusters on the growth surfaceof a flask of T25; ILCs were stained into positive mauve by DTZ and positive for PDX-1 and IRI; Western blot displayed that mostof the IRI was proinsulin (PI). Therefore, hUC-MSCs can rapidly differentiate into insulin-secreting cells under the sole induction ofEGF, bFGF, GBE and IMDM, but ILCs are not mature enough to produce sufficient true insulin.

Key words: umbilical cord; mesenchymal stem cells; insulin-secreting cells; cell differentiation; biological products

Received: 2009-10-19　　Accepted: 2009-12-31

Corresponding author: 王跃春　　E-mail: monkeymei2@yahoo.com.cn

Citing This Article：

WANG Yue-Chun, ZHANG Yuan, DUAN A-Lin, LIN Wei-Xia, ZHENG Qiao-Dan, XU Wen-Lu. [Rapid differentiation of human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem cellsinto insulin-secreting cells under the sole induction of biological products.] [Ariticle in Chinese] . Acta Physiol Sin 2010; 62 (1): 73-78 (in Chinese with English abstract).