Proliferation and differentiation of neural stem cells co-cultured with cerebral microvascular endothelial cells after oxygen-glucose deprivation

Various stem cells, including neural stem cells (NSCs), have been extensively studied in stroke models, but how to increase neuronal differentiation rate of NSCs remains unresolved, particularly in a damaged environment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of cerebral microvascular endothelial cells (CMECs) on the neurogenesis of NSCs with or without oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). The NSCs acquired from primary culture were immunostained to prove cell purity. Survival and proliferation of NSCs were determined after the co-culture with CMECs for 7 days. After removing the CMECs, NSCs were randomly divided into two groups as follows: OGD and non-OGD groups. Both groups were maintained in differentiation culture for 4 days to evaluate the differentiation rate. Mouse embryo fibroblast (MEF) cells co-cultured with NSCs served as control group. NSCs co-cultured with CMECs had an increase in size (on the 7th day: 89.80 +/- 26.12 mu m vs. 73.08 +/- 15.01 mu m, P < 0.001) (n=12) and number [on the 7th day: 6.33 +/- 5.61/high power objective (HP) vs. 2.23 +/- 1.61/HP, P < 0.001] (n=12) as compared with those co-cultured with MEF cells. After further differentiation culture for 4 days, NSCs co-cultured with CMECs had an increase in neuronal differentiation rate in OGD and non-OGD groups, but not in the control group (15.16% and 16.07% vs. 8.81%; both P < 0.001) (n=6). This study provided evidence that OGD could not alter the effects of CMECs in promoting the neuronal differentiation potential of NSCs. These findings may have important implications for the development of new cell therapies for cerebral vascular diseases.