Human Amniotic Fluid Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Second- and Third-Trimester Amniocentesis: Differentiation Potential, Molecular Signature, and Proteome Analysis

Figure 3

Differentiation potential of AF-MSCs. AF-MSCs were obtained from amniocentesis samples of second- and third-trimester at passages 5–8, cultured without differentiation supplements (a), or maintained in differentiation media. (b) Representative images of AF-MSCs after adipogenic treatment showing the accumulation of lipid vacuoles by Oil Red O staining; osteogenic treatment by Alizarin Red staining for calcium mineralization; neurogenic or myogenic treatment showing the presence of neuron-like cells or multinucleated cells by staining with crystal violet, respectively, and chondrogenic treatment showing glycosaminoglycan production in chondrogenic pellets by Alcian Blue staining. (c) Relative expression of adiponectin, myogenin, nestin, and osteopontin by RT-qPCR is presented as n-fold increase over untreated control. Data are presented as the mean ± S.N. () for three independent experiments.