Serum-free culture promotes rat adipose-derived stem cells differentiating into endothelial cells

Guo Huan-shan; Yan Ling

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2013.36.010

Abstract：BACKGROUND:There are few reports about the effect of serum-free culture on the differentiation of rat adipose-derived stem cel s into vascular endothelial cel s. <br> OBJECTIVE:To investigate the isolation, serum-free culture of rat adipose-derived stem cel s differentiating into vascular endothelial cel s. <br> METHODS:The rat adipose-derived stem cel s were isolated from male Sprague-Dawley rats and expanded to the third passage by enzymatic digestion-adherent explants method. In the experimental group, rat adipose-derived stem cel s were cultured in serum-free medium for 24 hours. In the control group, rat adipose-derived stem cel s were cultured in low-glucose Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium containing 10%fetal bovine serum. After that, the cel s were cultured in inducing medium for 3 weeks to differentiate into vascular endothelial cel s. <br> RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The rat adipose-derived stem cel s grew as polygonal or fusiform-shaped adherent cel s when cultured in vitro, which could stably proliferate and passage. The rat adipose-derived stem cel s showed very low expression of CD31, a cel surface marker, after passages. After directional differentiations into vascular endothelial cel s, the cel s were pebble-shaped under the inverted microscope. Expression of CD31 was up-regulated, which was much higher in the experimental group than the control group. The induced cel s in the experimental group had stronger abilities than those in the control group to swal ow Dil-labeled acetylated low-density lipoprotein and form tube-like structures on the matrigel after differentiation into vascular endothelial cel s. So, rat adipose-derived stem cel s could be highly successful y induced to differentiate into vascular endothelial cel s in vitro after serum-free culture.