Investigating the Synergic Effects of Valproic Acid and Crocin on BDNF and GDNF Expression in Epidermal Neural Crest Stem Cells
January 2020
in “
Acta Neurobiologiae Experimentalis
”
The study investigated the effects of valproic acid (VPA) and crocin on the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and glial-cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) in epidermal neural crest stem cells (EPI-NCSCs) isolated from rat hair follicles. The research found that treating EPI-NCSCs with 1 mM VPA and 1.5 mM crocin, as well as co-treatment with 1 mM VPA and 500 μM crocin, promoted cell survival and proliferation. Real-time PCR results showed that both VPA and crocin, individually and together, significantly increased BDNF and GDNF expression. These findings suggested that VPA and crocin could enhance the differentiation capacity of EPI-NCSCs into neural lineages, making them potential candidates for treating neurological disorders like spinal cord injury.