[Effect of TSPG on proliferation and differentiation of human embryonic neural stem cell into dopaminergic neuron].

Objective: To investigate the effects of total saponins of panax ginseng (TSPG) on proliferation and differentiation of human embryonic neural stem cell (NSC) into dopaminergic neuron.

Method: Isolation, cultivation and identification of human embryonic NSC from cerebral cortex of 7-12 week abortus. By using flow cytometry and MTT assay, the effects of various concentration of TSPG and TSPG cooperating with cytokines( EGF, bFGF) in NSC culture media for 3 days on proliferation of human embryonic NSC has studied. By employing immunocytochemistry assay of the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the effect of different dilution of TSPG and TSPG cooperating with IL-1 on induced differentiation of human embryonic NSC into dopaminergic neuron has researched.

Result: TSPG can significantly promote the proliferation of NSC. When TSPG cooperating with EGF and bFGF, the proliferation of NSC is much stronger than that of only using FGF and bFGF. TSPG also induces NSC to differentiate into dopaminergic neuron, especially when TSPG is cooperating with IL-1.

Conclusion: TSPG can not only obviously accelerate the proliferation of NSC, but also significantly induce differentiation of NSC into dopaminergic neuron.