Abstract
It has been widely known that the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is one of the most endangered species in the world. An optimized platform for maintaining the proliferation of giant panda mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is very necessary for current giant panda protection strategies. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), a member of the FGF family, is widely considered as a growth factor and differentiation inducer within the stem cell research field. However, the role of bFGF on promoting the proliferation of MSCs derived from giant panda bone marrow (BM) has not been reported. In this study, we aimed to investigate the role of bFGF on the proliferation of BM-MSCs derived from giant panda. MSCs were cultured for cell proliferation analysis at 24, 48 and 72 hrs following the addition of bFGF. With increasing concentrations of bFGF, cell numbers gradually increased. This was further demonstrated by performing 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazolyl)-2,5-diphenyl-2-H-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) cell proliferation assay, 5-Bromo-2-deoxyUridine (BrdU) labeling and cell cycle testing. Furthermore, the percentage of MSCs that were OCT4 positive increased slightly following treatment with 5 ng/ml bFGF. Moreover, we demonstrated that the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway may play an important role in the proliferation of panda MSCs stimulated by bFGF. In conclusion, this study suggests that giant panda BM-MSCs have a high proliferative capacity with the addition of 5 ng/ml bFGF in vitro.
Highlights
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), one kind of multipotent stem cell, have attracted a lot of attention among stem cells researchers, in recent years, due to their ability to self-renew and differentiate into many different cell types
We aimed to investigate the role of Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on the proliferation of giant panda bone marrow (BM)-MSCs in vitro
Mesenchymal stem cells were cultured at 37°C under 5% CO2 in complete medium supplemented with low-glucose Dulbecco’s modified Eagle medium (LG-DMEM; Hyclone, SH30021.01B, China), 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS; Gibco, 10099–141, USA), 10 ng/mL epidermal growth factor (EGF; R&D, 2028-EG-200, USA), 5 ng/mL bFGF (Peprotech, 100-18B, USA), 2 mM L-glutamine (Gibco, 35050–061, Japan), 1% penicillin streptomycin combination (Hyclone, SV30010, China)
Summary
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), one kind of multipotent stem cell, have attracted a lot of attention among stem cells researchers, in recent years, due to their ability to self-renew and differentiate into many different cell types. The immunosuppressive capacity of MSCs is the biggest advantage within the clinical field, they do not express major histocompatibility class II and can escape immune recognition by the host [1]. They can survive and form the stromal microenvironment in which the cells can reside and differentiate into different cell types. In 2013, Liu et al successfully isolated stem cells from the bone marrow (BM) of the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), and further investigated the proliferation and differentiation potential of these MSCs in vitro. An optimized platform for maintaining the proliferation of giant panda MSCs is very important for current giant panda protection strategies
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
