Extracts from Neuron-Enriched Cultures of Chick Telencephalon Stimulate the Proliferation of Rat Oligodendrocytes

Both a soluble and particulate fractions from chick neuronal cultures contain factors that stimulate the proliferation of oligodendrocytes in rat brain cultures enriched for these cells, as measured by the number of cells containing 2', 3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphohydrolase. The presence of the soluble factor did not lead to increases in the number of cells with glial fibrillary acidic protein or tetanus toxin receptors. Supplementation of the cultures with a supernatant fraction from rat brain homogenate also resulted in increased numbers of oligodendrocytes; in contrast, supernatant fractions from liver and kidney homogenates did not.