• Pengcheng Li, Chun Zhou, Lunshan Xu, and Hualiang Xiao.
• Department of Neurosurgery, Research Institute of Field Surgery, Daping Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing, 400042, China.
• Int J Med Sci. 2013 Jan 1; 10 (4): 399407399-407.

ObjectiveTo investigate the relationship between hypoxia and in vitro "stemness" of cancer stem cells (CSCs).MethodsU87 cells, U251 cells and primary glioma cells (n=3) experienced hypoxia. Transmission electron microscopy was done to detect the ultrastructure of these cancer cells; MTT assay to detect the cell growth; flow cytometry to detect cell cycle and CD133 expression; Transwell chamber assay was carried out to detect the cell migration; colony-forming assay to detect the colony-forming efficiency; real-time quantitative PCR and Western blot were carried out to detect the mRNA and protein expression of markers of stem cells and their differentiation, respectively.ResultsHypoxia maintained the undifferentiated state of primary glioma cells, slowed down the growth of glioma cells which were in a relatively quiescent stage, increased the colony forming efficiency and migration of glioma cells, and elevated the expression of markers of stem cells, but the expression of markers for stem cell differentiation was reduced after hypoxia treatment.ConclusionHypoxia may induce the "dedifferentiation" of differentiated glioma cells which then acquire the stemness.

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