Effects of Buyang Huanwu Decoction on neurite outgrowth and differentiation of neuroepithelial stem cells.

To determine the effects of Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD), a traditional Chinese medicine, on neurite outgrowth and differentiation of neuroepithelial stem cells (NEPs), NEPs were isolated from embryonic neural tube and cultured in medium with rat serum containing BYHWD, which was prepared from rats administrated orally with BYHWD. The average neurite length of NEPs grew significantly longer in rat serum containing BYHWD than in control serum without BYHWD. More neurofilament (NF) positive cells and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) positive cells were detected in NEPs cultured in the presence of BYHWD. Besides, when cultured NEPs were loaded with Fluo-3-AM, the fluorescence intensity obtained from NEPs cultured in serum with BYHWD was significantly lower than that from NEPs cultured in control serum without BYHWD. Our results indicate that BYHWD could exert a promotion effect on neurite outgrowth and differentiation of NEPs.