Table 1. Experimental groups (differentiated and control groups).
| Experimental groups | Culturing medium and supplementations | Incubation time (days) | Total (days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Control (standard cell culture) | 10% FBS DMEM/F12* supplemented with 10 μM DMSO$. | 12 | 12 |
| ATRA | 10% FBS DMEM/F12* supplemented with 10 μM ATRA. | 12 | 12 |
| ATRA→BDNF | 1st stage: 10% FBS DMEM/F12* supplemented with 10 μM ATRA. | 5 | 12 |
| 2nd stage: Serum-free DMEM/F12* supplemented with 50 ng/ml BDNF. | 7 | ||
| ATRA→ 0 serum (2nd control) |
1st stage: 10% FBS DMEM/F12* supplemented with 10 μM ATRA. | 5 | 12 |
| 2nd stage: Serum-free DMEM/F12* without any supplement. | 7 |
* Supplemented with penicillin/streptomycin.
$ DMSO is added as it is the dissolvent used to prepare the ATRA, so the control group is identical to differentiating group but without the differentiating supplement “ATRA”.