Zinc Promotes Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Proliferation and Differentiation towards a Neuronal Fate

Figure 1

Zinc increases proliferation of AD-MSCs. To evaluate the role of zinc in cellular proliferation, AD-MSCs were cultured in 6-well plates at 1 × 10⁴ cells per well with culture media containing zinc at the following concentrations: 0, 10, 30, 50, 100, and 300 μΜ. AD-MSC proliferation was analyzed at day 6. AD-MSC proliferation was increased by zinc supplement. (a) Phase-contrast photomicrographs of AD-MSCs 6 days after the addition of 0, 10, 30, 50, 100, and 300 μM ZnCl₂. AD-MSC proliferation was significantly increased by zinc supplements in a dose-dependent manner, except at 300 μM. Scale bar, 100 μm. (b) Effect of zinc on AD-MSC proliferation was evaluated using the CCK-8 assay each day for 6 days. AD-MSC proliferation was higher in 100 μM of zinc when compared with controls. Data are representative of ten independent experiments (42%, 43%, and 75%, resp., versus untreated with ZnCl₂). (c) AD-MSCs were incubated with 30 μΜ ZnCl₂ for 3, 6, 12, and 24 h and then lysed. Western blotting was performed with anti-phospho-ERK1/2 and anti-ERK1/2 antibodies. (d) Data are expressed as means ± SD of three independent experiments ( versus untreated with ZnCl₂).

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