Effect of ciliary neurotrophic factor on activation of astrocytes in vitro.

Objective To observe the activating effect of ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) on astrocyte in vitro. Methods Astrocytes cultured purely from newborn rats. Cerebral cortex was raised in normal and serum deprivation condition with different concentrations (in ng/ml: 0, 2, 20, or 200) of CNTF. After cultured for 24 h, the shape and the cell cycle of astrocytes were examined by immunocytochemistry and flow cytometer, respectively. Results The immunoactivity of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and the nuclear size of astrocytes were increased when CNTF was applied, whether cells were cultured in medium with or without serum. CNTF promoted astrocytes to enter the cell cycle in medium with serum, but had no this effect in medium without serum. Conclusion In medium without serum, astrocytes could differentiate into activated state cells with CNTF application, but could not proliferate; in medium with serum, astrocytes could proliferate with aid of CNTF.