Phenotype changes of oral epithelial stem cells after in vitro culture

Abstract The aim of our study was to isolate populations of keratinocyte stem cells based on the expression of cell surface markers and to investigate whether the culture could affect their phenotype. keratinocytes from human oral mucosa were sorted based on the expression of the epithelial stem cell markers p75NTR and CD71. We also examined the co-expression of other epithelial stem markers such as integrins β1 and α6 and their stem cell-like proprieties in in vitro assays. Three passages after being sorted by MACS, more than 93% of the p75NTR+ve cells lost the expression of p75NTR, while 5.46% of the p75NTR-ve gained it. Within the small population of the p75NTR+ve cells, 88% co-expressed other epithelial stem cell markers such as integrins β1 and α6, while only 28% of p75NTR-ve cells co-expressed these markers. These results were confirmed by sorting cells by FACS. Additionally, when double staining was used for sorting cells, 99% of the p75NTR+veCD71-ve and 33% of the p75NTR-veCD71+ve cells expressed both integrins, but just one week after culture, only 1.74% of the p75NTR+veCD71-ve cells still expressed p75NTR and only 0.32% still expressed CD71. Similar results were obtained when co-culturing p75NTR+ve and p75NTR-ve populations before analysis. Our results suggest that phenotype changes may be part of an intrinsic cellular mechanism to conserve levels of protein expression as they may found in the human body. In addition, in vitro culture may not offer ideal conditions for epithelial stem cell maintenance due to phenotype changes under standard culture conditions.

Supraorganized collagen enhances Schwann cell reactivity and organization in vitro

We investigated the reactivity and expression of basal lamina collagen by Schwann cells (SCs) cultivated on a supraorganized bovine-derived collagen substrate. SC cultures were obtained from sciatic nerves of neonatal Sprague-Dawley rats and seeded on 24-well culture plates containing collagen substrate. The homogeneity of the cultures was evaluated with an SC marker antibody (anti-S-100). After 1 week, the cultures were fixed and processed for immunocytochemistry by using antibodies against type IV collagen, S-100 and p75NTR (pan neurotrophin receptor) and for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Positive labeling with antibodies to the cited molecules was observed, indicating that the collagen substrate stimulates SC alignment and adhesion (collagen IV labeling - organized collagen substrate: 706.33 ± 370.86, non-organized collagen substrate: 744.00 ± 262.09; S-100 labeling - organized collagen: 3809.00 ± 120.28, non-organized collagen: 3026.00 ± 144.63, P < 0.05) and reactivity (p75NTR labeling - organized collagen: 2156.33 ± 561.78, non-organized collagen: 1424.00 ± 405.90, P < 0.05; means ± standard error of the mean in absorbance units). Cell alignment and adhesion to the substrate were confirmed by SEM analysis. The present results indicate that the collagen substrate with an aligned suprastructure, as seen by polarized light microscopy, provides an adequate scaffold for SCs, which in turn may increase the efficiency of the nerve regenerative process after in vivo repair.

An immunohistochemical, clinical and electroneuromyographic correlative study of the neural markers in the neuritic form of leprosy

The nerve biopsies of 11 patients with pure neuritic leprosy were submitted to routine diagnostic procedures and immunoperoxidase staining with antibodies against axonal (neurofilament, nerve growth factor receptor (NGFr), and protein gene product (PGP) 9.5) and Schwann cell (myelin basic protein, S-100 protein, and NGFr) markers. Two pairs of non-adjacent histological cross-sections of the peripheral nerve were removed for quantification. All the fascicles of the nerve were examined with a 10X-ocular and 40X-objective lens. The immunohistochemistry results were compared to the results of semithin section analysis and clinical and electroneuromyographic data. Neurofilament staining was reduced in 100 percent of the neuritic biopsies. NGFr positivity was also reduced in 81.8 percent, PGP staining in 100 percent of the affected nerves, S100 positivity in 90.9 percent, and myelin basic protein immunoreactivity in 90.9 percent. Hypoesthesia was associated with decreased NGFr (81.8 percent) and PGP staining (90.9 percent). Reduced potential amplitudes (electroneuromyographic data) were found to be associated with reduced PGP 9.5 (63.6 percent) and nerve fiber neurofilament staining (45.4 percent) by immunohistochemistry and with loss of myelinated fibers (100 percent) by semithin section analysis. On the other hand, the small fibers (immunoreactive dots) seen amid inflammatory cells continued to be present even after 40 percent of the larger myelinated fibers had disappeared. The present study shows an in-depth view of the destructive effects of leprosy upon the expression of neural markers and the integrity of nerve fiber. The association of these structural changes with the clinical and electroneuromyographic manifestations of leprosy peripheral neuropathy was also discussed.