Differentiation increases the intracellular iron level in neural-differentiation-inducible ferritin-expressing human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells.

<p>(A) A photomicrograph showing Prussian blue iron staining of intracellular iron in neural-differentiation-inducible ferritin-expressing (NDIFE) and neurally differentiated (ND)-NDIFE human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADMSCs). Many disperse cytoplasmic deposits (blue granules) of accumulated intracellular iron were observed in NDIFE hADMSCs, whereas large, dense cytoplasmic deposits appeared in the corresponding control ND-NDIFE hADMSCs. The scale bar is 50 μm. (B) Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis of the intracellular iron content in NDIFE and ND-NDIFE hADMSCs. The intracellular iron content in ND-NDIFE hADMSCs was significantly higher than that in the corresponding undifferentiated NDIFE hADMSCs. Error bars represent the mean ± standard deviation (n = 3; *<i>P</i> < 0.05).