Objective:To study the difference between Naoluoxintong serum supplementation and fetal bovine serum supplementation in inducing
differentiation of rat embryonic
neural stem cells.Method:Rat embryonic neural stem cells were differentiated by fetal bovine serum
supplementation and Naoluoxintong serum supplementation respectively.Their phenotypic changes were detected via phase contrast microscopy and specific markers of neurocytes(neuron,astrocyte and oligodendrocyte)were detected via immunofluorescence.Result:Both methods induced the majority of neural stem cells to differentiate into neurons,astrocytes or oligodendrocytes.In addition,Naoluoxintong serum supplementation promoted the proliferation of neural stem cells to some extent.Though the differentiative time course of Naoluoxintong serum supplementation was later than that of fetal bovine serum supplementation,the differentiated cells induced by the former morphologically resembled mature neurons to greater extent.Conclusion:Naoluoxintong serum supplementation could not only induce the differentiation of neural stem cells and stimulate the differentiative neurons to develop more mature,but also promote the proliferation of neural stem cells to some extent.