Evaluation of Potential Effect of Retinoic Acid on the Differentiation of Rat Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells into the Beta Cells and Insulin

Mesanchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from a variety of human adult tissues and potentiate to self-replicate and differentiate into different cell types. Retinoic acid (RA) is important in embryonic development of pancreas. The effect of RA on transdifferentiation of rat bone marrow mesanchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) into the beta cells was studied.

Rat BMMSCs were prepared by flashing method and confirmed by evaluating of BMMSCs surface markers. BMMSCs were treated in four groups by: 1) rat pancreatic extract (RPE) (250µg/ml) 2) RPE (250µg/ml) + RA (10µM), 3) no treated group as control and 4) ethanol 10% as vehicle and RA(10µM) as control. Insulin secretion was evaluated by ELISA assay. Insulin expression (RT-PCR) were determined.

RT-PCR results showed that insulin expression in RPE and RPE + RA groups. Insulin releasing in group RPE + RA was significantly more than group 1, (p-value < 0.05), Wilcoxon test..

Our study showed that RA can promote differentiation of the BMMSCs into the insulin producing cells invitro.