Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 4, 2026
Serial Enrichment of Spermatogonial Stem and Progenitor Cells SSCs in Culture for Derivation of Long-term Adult Mouse SSC Lines
Published on: February 25, 2013
[Psoralen induces rat mesenchymal stem cell differentiation towards male germ cells in vitro]
1Reproduction Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Western Medicine, Second Affiliated Clinical Medical School; Sichuan Family Planning Research Institute, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 610041, China.
Objective:
To test the hypothesis that psoralen induces rat mesenchymal stem cells (RMSCs) to differentiate towards male germ cells.
Methods:
RMSCs were induced by psoralen at the final concentration of 3.0 µg/ml, and the morphological changes of the cells were detected microscopically and the cell proliferation changes were measured by MTT assay. The expressions of 7 representative marker genes of male germ cells, namely Oct-4, Stra8, RVLG, SCP3, TNP2, Itgb1, and Itga6, were investigated in the induced cells by real-time quantitative PCR.
Results:
RMSCs showed no obvious morphological changes after induction with 3.0 µg/ml psoralen for 72 h. Psoralen induction for 5 days did not significantly affect the proliferation of RMSCs; Psoralen induction for 72 h, however, significantly up-regulated the genes Oct-4, Stra8, SCP3, and Itgb1 (P<0.05) without affecting the expressions of the genes RVLG, TNP2, or Itga6 (P>0.05).
Conclusion:
Psoralen may participate in the differentiation of RMSCs towards male germ cells.
