The denervated hippocampus provides proper microenvironment for the survival and differentiation of neural progenitors.

The fate of neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs/NPCs) in vivo lies on the local microenvironment. Whether the denervated hippocampus provides a stimulative role on the survival and differentiation of the anterior subventricular zone (SVZa) progenitors was investigated in the present study. In vivo the SVZa progenitors were transplanted into the denervated hippocampus and the contralateral side, and were found migrating along the subgranular layer. More implanted cells were found survived and differentiated into the Neurofilament 200 (NF-200) or beta-Tubulin-III positive neurons in the denervated than in the normal hippocampus at all points studied. In vitro the extracts from the denervated and normal hippocampus were used to induce differentiation of the SVZa progenitors. More progenitors incubated with the denervated hippocampal extract differentiated significantly into the MAP-2 or AChE positive neurons than those incubated with the normal hippocampal extract (P<0.05). We concluded that the deafferented hippocampus provided proper microenvironment for the survival and neuronal differentiation of neural progenitors.