Mitotic potential of adult rat oligodendrocytes in culture

The proliferation of adult oligodendrocytes (OLGs) was examined in response to membrane bound and soluble mitogens. OLGs were isolated according to Vick, et al., J Neurosci Res 25:524-534, 1990, and co-cultured with dorsal root ganglia (DRGs). Less than 5% of the total cells incorporated a 48 hr pulse of 3H thymidine during the first 4 days of co-culture. From day 4 to day 6 there was a dramatic increase in proliferation which reached a plateau at 40% and gradually decreased to 25% from days 10 to 20 of co-culture. Axolemma-enriched fractions (AEF) were weak mitogens for OLGs (less than 5% proliferation after 7 days of stimulation), however, heparin extracts of AEF were five-fold more mitogenic than the AEF from which they were derived. Basic and acidic fibroblast growth factor were effective mitogens for the adult OLGs (labelling indices of 28% and 12%, respectively) provided that the cells were treated for 7 days with the growth factor and that the cells had been in culture for at least 14 days. Other soluble growth factors (IL-2 and PDGF) gave no mitotic response. We conclude that adult OLGs are mitotically responsive to mitogens provided that (1) the adult OLG has been cultured for sufficient time (14 days, acidic or basic fibroblast growth factor); (2) the axonal mitogen is allowed to interact with the OLG for a sufficient time (neuritic mitogen); and (3) the axonal mitogen is presented to the OLG in an activated form (AEF-heparin extract).