Transfection of the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor gene promotes neuronal differentiation

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor recombinant adenovirus vector-transfected bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were induced to differentiate into neuron-like cells using inductive medium containing retinoic acid and epidermal growth factor. Cell viability, microtubule-associated protein 2-positive cell ratio, and the expression levels of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor and growth-associated protein-43 protein in the supernatant were significantly higher in glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor/bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells compared with empty virus plasmid-transfected bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. Furthermore, microtubule-associated protein 2, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor and growth-associated protein-43 mRNA levels in cell pellets were statistically higher in glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor/bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells compared with empty virus plasmid-transfected bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. These results suggest that glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor/bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells have a higher rate of induction into neuron-like cells, and this enhanced differentiation into neuron-like cells may be associated with up-regulated expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor and growth-associated protein-43.