A Two-Stage Process for Differentiation of Wharton's Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells into Neuronal-like Cells.

With no permanent cure for neurodegenerative diseases, the symptoms reappear shortly after the withdrawal of medicines. A better treatment outcome can be expected if the damaged neurons are partly replaced by functional neurons and/or they are repaired using trophic factors. In this regard, safe cell therapy has been considered as a potential alternative to conventional treatment. Here, we have described a two-stage culture process to differentiate Wharton Jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) into neuronal-like cells in the presence of various cues involved in neurogenesis. The fate of cells at the end of each stage was analyzed at the morphometric, transcriptional, and translational levels. In the first stage of priming, constitutively, wingless-activated WJ-MSCs crossed the lineage boundary in favor of neuroectodermal lineage, identified by the loss of mesenchymal genes with concomitant expression of neuron-specific markers, like SOX1, PAX6, NTRK1, and NEUROD2. Neuronal-like cells formed in the second stage expressed many mature neuronal proteins like Map2, neurofilament, and Tuj1 and possessed axon hillock-like structures. In conclusion, the differentiation of a large number of neuronal-like cells from nontumorigenic and trophic factors secreting WJ-MSCs promises the development of a therapeutic strategy to treat neurodegenerative diseases.

Reproductive toxicity of carbofuran to the female mice: effects on estrous cycle and follicles.

Carbofuran, a systemic N-methyl carbamate pesticide was orally administered with the doses of 0.4, 0.7, 1 and 1.3 mg/kg body weight/day to normal virgin female Swiss albino mice for 30 days. The vaginal smear and body weight of mice were recorded daily and mice were sacrificed on the 31st day. Estrous cycle was effected by showing a significant decrease in the number of estrous cycle and the duration of each phases of estrous cycle with concomitant significant increase in the diestrus phase in 1 and 1.3 mg/kg/d carbofuran treatment when compared with that of control mice. There was a significant decrease in the number of healthy follicles and a significant increase in the number of atretic follicles in 1 and 1.3 mg/kg/d treated groups when compared with the control. The histologic observations of the ovary revealed the presence of less number of healthy follicles and more number of atretic follicles in high dose of carbofuran treated mice. There was a dose dependent decrease in the body weight. The ovary weight was also decreased significantly in 1.3 mg/kg/d carbofuran treatment. There were no significant change in the weight of the organs such as uterus, kidney, adrenal, liver, spleen, thymus and thyroid. These observed effects of carbofuran on the estrous cycle and follicles may be due to a direct effect on the ovary or the hypothalamo-hypophysial ovarian axis causing hormonal imbalance.