Varying expression of neurotrophic factors in rat bone marrow stromal cells according to number of culture passages

Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) are multipotent stem cells and are considered good candidates for cell restoration in injured brain tissue. The aim of this study is to learn if rat BMSC express brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glia-derived nerve factor (GDNF) and determine if this expression varies according to the number of culture passages. The presence of BDNF and GDNF mRNA was determined by RT-PCR and protein expression was evaluated by Western Blot. GDNF production in individual cells in the culture was analyzed by Immunocytochemistry. Our results indicated that rat BMSC produce BDNF, at least until passage number 12. Nevertheless, GDNF production only takes place at passages 7 and 12. In conclusion, the expression of BDNF and GDNF by BMSC varies according to their mature state; both neurotrophic factors only are present after passage 7 which should be taken into account for their utilization as a therapeutic option of neurodegenerative diseases.