Interleukin-6 promotes proliferation of bone marrow-derived neural stem cells: an experimental study

Objective To study the influence of interleukin-6 on the proliferation of bone marrow-derived neural stem cells (BMSCs-D-NSCs) in rats in vitro and probe into the mechanism of signal pathway. Methods Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) were obtained by density gradient centrifugation and cultured in special neural stem cells medium. After 6 d,wall-adhered cells were collected. By means of AlamarBlue,we detected the relationship between the density of IL-6,IL-6’s acceptor and the proliferation of BMSCs-D-NSCs. Moreover,the method of Western blot analysis was used to investigate the relationship between the expression of STAT3 in BMSCs-D-NSCs and the density of IL-6. Results BMSCs-D-NSCs were generated by the impact of IL-6 and proliferated more quickly with the increased density of IL-6,which indicated the obvious dose-dependence. The difference between the groups of 20,100 ,200 ng/mL and the control group was significant (P0.01),and so it was with the comparison between the group of 20 ng/mL and the group of 100 ng/mL (P0.05). However,there was no statistical difference between the 2 ng/mL group and the control group,and between the groups of 100 ng/mL and 200 ng/mL,respectively (P0.05). We found that the multiplication of BMSCs-D-NSCs was inhibited by the acceptor of IL-6,and there were significant differences between the groups of 100ng/mL,200 ng/mL and the control group in case of using IL-6R alone (P0.05). Though combined use of IL-6 and IL-6R promoted the proliferation of BMSCs-D-NSCs,it was less powerful than the use of IL-6 alone and there was significant difference between them (P0.05). With the rise of IL-6’s levels,the expression of STAT3 increased because of the significant differences between the groups of 20,100,200ng/mL and control group (P0.01). Conclusion IL-6 in the group of 100 ng/mL can promote proliferation of BMSCs-D-NSCs but the IL-6R can inhibit its proliferation. Combined use of IL-6 and IL-6R is no more powerful than use of IL-6 alone in the promotion of proliferation,indicating the acceptors in the BMSCs-D-NSCs renders the influence of IL-6. IL-6 contributes to BMSCs-D-NSCs’generation by means of STAT3s’expression.