Abstract: Objective: To explore the influence of serum of different concentrations towards co-cultured neuroepithelial stem cells and Schwann cells, and further to seek the factors inducing the orientation differentiation of neural stem cells. Methods: The supernatant was collected as a conditional medium from a flask of co-culturing neuroepithelia stem cells and Schwann cells in serums of different concentrations. The neurons and the astroglia cells differentiated from the neuroepithelial stem cells induced by the conditional medium were counted by the immunocytochemistry technique and the soft IPP. The survival and the proliferation of the Schwann cells were determined by MTT. Results: The Schwann cells promoted the survival and differentiation of neuroepithelial stem cells, and the number of the neurons decreased with an increase of serum concentration. Both the neuroepithelial stem cells and serum promoted the survival and the proliferation of the Schwann cells. Conclusion: Serum of free or lower concentration is favorable for Schwann cell survival and proliferation and it is advantageous to the survival and differentiation of neuroepithelial stem cells into neurons.

Key words: Stem cells, Neuroepithelium, Differentiation, Schwann cells