A new erythrodiol triterpene fatty ester from Scorzonera mongolica.

Two erythrodiol triterpene fatty esters, 3beta-dodecanoyl erythrodiol (1) and 3beta-tetradecanoyl erythrodiol (2), were isolated from Scorzonera mongolica. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of IR, MS and extensive 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis. Compound 1 was identified to be a new compound and 2 was confirmed to be a new natural compound. Their antitumor effects in vitro were evaluated with MTT and SRB assays, but compounds 1 and 2 only showed moderate cytotoxicities on A-549 cell line.

Bone marrow stromal cells express neural phenotypes in vitro and migrate in brain after transplantation in vivo.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) into neuron-like cells and to explore their potential use for neural transplantation. METHODS: BMSC from rats and adult humans were cultured in serum-containing media. Salvia miltiorrhiza was used to induce human BMSC (hBMSC) to differentiate. BMSC were identified with immunocytochemistry. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR was used to examine mRNA expression of neurofilamentl (NF1), nestin and neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in rat BMSC (rBMSC). Rat BMSC labelled by Hoschst33258 were transplanted into striatum of rats to trace migration and distribution. RESULTS: rBMSC expressed NSE, NF1 and nestin mRNA, and NF1 mRNA and expression was increased with induction of Salvia miltiorrhiza. A small number of hBMSC were stained by anti-nestin, anti-GFAP and anti-S100. Salvia miltiorrhiza could induce hBMSC to differentiate into neuron-like cells. Some differentiated neuron-like cells, that expressed NSE, beta-tubulin and NF-200, showed typical neuron morphology, but some neuron-like cells also expressed alpha smooth muscle protein, making their neuron identification complicated. rBMSC could migrate and adapted in the host brains after being transplanted. CONCLUSION: Bone marrow stromal cells could express phenotypes of neurons, and Salvia miltiorrhiza could induce hBMSC to differentiate into neuron-like cells. If BMSC could be converted into neurons instead of mesenchymal derivatives, they would be an abundant and accessible cellular source to treat a variety of neurological diseases.

[Stromal cells from human Wharton's jelly differentiate into neural cells].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the neural differentiating capability of the umbilical cord tissue-derived stromal cells (UCSCs) in the attempt to find a new cell source for neural transplantation. METHODS: UCSCs from umbilical cord of human were cultured with tissue piece method, passaged by trypsin digestion. And Salvia miltiorrhiza was used to induce the cells to differentiate. Cells were identified with immunocytochemistry. RESULTS: Stromal cells that migrated from explants and primary culture were obtained. These cells could differentiate into smooth muscle cells spontaneously and expressed smooth muscle actin; they could be passaged by trypsin digestion. Salvia miltiorrhiza could induce these cells to differentiate into the neuron-like cells, which displayed typical neuron morphology, expressed nestin, beta III-tubulin and NSE at the early stage of differentiation, and were stained by anti-neurofilament 200 at the late stage of differentiation. With optimal conditions, about 90% of UCSCs expressed neuronal phenotypes, lower than 1% of the differentiated cells expressed GFAP, and no myelin basic protein expression was detected in the differentiated cells, indicating the absence of oligodendrocyte differentiation from stromal cells. CONCLUSION: The data supported the hypothesis that umbilical cord contains the stem cells with the ability of differentiating into neurons, which may provide an alternative stem cell source for CNS cell transplantation.