Abstract
Heparin plays an important role in the survival and differentiation of mesencephalic progenitors mediated by FGF-2 in vitro. If the heparin concentration is gradually increased, cell survival mediated by FGF-2 can be greatly enhanced, to a maximum concentration of 20 ng/ml FGF-2 from 5 microg/ml heparin. However, differentiation of FGF-2 responsive mesencephalic progenitors is inhibited by heparin. When cortical, mesencephalic and hippocampal astrocytes were primed with FGF-2 and heparin, the latter two astrocytes promoted the differentiation of TH-positive neurons from mesencephalic progenitors. RT-PCR analysis showed that FGFR1, FGFR2 and FGFR3 were expressed in the cortical astrocytes, but only FGFR1 and FGFR3 were expressed in the mesencephalic and hippocampal astrocytes.
Publication types
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Comparative Study
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Animals
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Animals, Newborn
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Astrocytes / drug effects
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Cell Count / methods
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Cell Differentiation / drug effects*
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Cell Survival / drug effects
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Cells, Cultured
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Coculture Techniques / methods
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Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
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Drug Interactions
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Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / physiology*
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Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
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Heparin / pharmacology*
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Immunohistochemistry / methods
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Mesencephalon / cytology*
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RNA, Messenger / biosynthesis
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Rats
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Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
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Stem Cells / cytology
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Stem Cells / drug effects*
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Tetrazolium Salts
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Thiazoles
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Tubulin / metabolism
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Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / metabolism
Substances
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RNA, Messenger
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Tetrazolium Salts
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Thiazoles
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Tubulin
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Fibroblast Growth Factor 2
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Heparin
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Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase
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thiazolyl blue