Extract of deafferented hippocampus promotes in vitro radial glial cell differentiation into neurons

To explore the effects of deafferented hippocampal extracts on the differentiation of radial glial cells (RGCs), hippocampal RGCs of postnatal day 1 rats were isolated under adherent conditions in vitro. Protein extracts of deafferented hippocampus were prepared from adult rats following fimbria fornix lesion. RGCs were exposed to extracts of deafferented or normal hippocampus and the type and extent of proliferation and differentiation were evaluated. We report that extracts of deafferented hippocampus more effectively promoted RGC proliferation than extracts of normal hippocampus. Moreover, although RGC differentiation in vitro primarily generated cells of glial lineages, cells exposed to extracts of deafferented hippocampus, but not of normal hippocampus, showed a significantly increased trend towards the generation of cells of neuronal lineages. We conclude that extracts of deafferented hippocampus promote RGC proliferation and neurogenesis.