Fig. 4.

Long-term stimulation of neurospheres. Small intestine neurospheres were cultured for 2 weeks in the presence of 5 μg/ml lipopolysaccharides (LPS; lower panel) compared to control (upper pannel). Neurospheres from GFP-nestin transgenic mice (green; B and E) were stained with PGP 9.5 (red; A and D) and DAPI (blue). In control neurospheres, the rate of PGP 9.5-positive cells was higher than in LPS-treated neurospheres, whereas amount of nestin-positive cells was increased in LPS-treated neurospheres indicating a prolonged proliferation state with an increased ‘stemcellness’ resulting in a reduced neurogenesis; bar: 50 μm. Small intestine neurospheres were cultured for 2 weeks with (H) or without (G) 5 μg/ml LPS before a specific differentiation occurs. Neurospheres were stained with PGP 9.5 (red). In control neurospheres, the rate of PGP 9.5-positive cells was higher than in LPS-treated neurospheres. The neural outgrowth reflected by PGP 9.5-positive staining was reduced in the treated; bar: 50 μm.