Figure 2.

hADSCs differentiate into dopaminergic-like neurons.

(A) Experimental design for the generation of in vitro dopaminergic neurons from hADSCs. (B) a: Morphology of undifferentiated hADSCs; b: morphology of hADSCs on the 8^th day of induction; c. morphology of hADSCs on the 14^th day of induction; d: morphology of hADSCs on the 29^th day of induction. Arrows indicate hADSCs. Scale bar: 200 μm. (C) Protein levels of TH, Nurr1 and Lmx1a after dopaminergic-like neuronal induction of hADSCs. β-Actin was used as a control. (D) Quantification of TH, Nurr1 and Lmx1a protein expression normalized to actin. (E) mRNA levels of TH, Nurr1 and Lmx1a after dopaminergic-like neuronal induction of hADSCs. GAPDH was used as a control. (F) Quantitative analysis of the release of dopamine during induction in the control group and differentiated cells on the 29^th day. **P < 0.01, vs. control group. Data are presented as the mean ± SD (Student’s t-test). Average of three independent in vitro differentiation experiments (n = 3). hADSCs: Human adipose-derived stem cells; Lmx1a: LIM homeobox transcription factor 1 alpha; TH: tyrosine hydroxylase.