BACKGROUND: It has been previously shown that hyperbaric oxygen may promote proliferation of neural stem cells and reduce death of endogenous neural stem cells (NSCs).OBJECTIVE: To explore the effects of hyperbaric oxygen on the differentiation of hypoxic/ischemic brain-derived NSCs into neuron-like cells and compare with high-concentration oxygen and high pressure.DESIGN, TIME AND SETTING: An in vitro contrast study, performed at Laboratory of Neurology,Central South University between January and May 2006.MATERIALS: A hyperbaric oxygen chamber (YLC 0.5/1A) was provided by Wuhan Shipping Design Research Institute; mouse anti-rat microtubute-associated protein 2 monoclonal antibody by Jingmei Company, Beijing; mouse anti-rat glial fibrillary acidic protein monoclonal antibody by Neo Markers,USA; mouse anti-rat galactocerebroside monoclonal antibody by Santa Cruz Biotechnology Inc.,USA; and goat anti-mouse fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled secondary antibody by Wuhan Boster Bioengineering Co., Ltd., China.METHODS: Brain-derived NSCs isolated from brain tissues of neonatal Sprague Dawiey rats werecloned and passaged, and assigned into five groups: normal control, model, high-concentration oxygen, high pressure, and hyperbaric oxygen groups. Cells in the four groups, excluding the normal control group, were incubated in serum-containing DMEM/F12 culture medium. Hypoxic/ischemic models of NSCs were established in an incubator comprising 93% N2, 5% CO2, and 2% O2.Thereafter, cells were continuously cultured as follows: compressed air (0.2 MPa, 1 hour, once a day)in the high pressure group, compressed air+a minimum of 80% O2 in the hyperbaric oxygen group,and a minimum of 80% O2 in the high-concentration oxygen group. Cells in the normal control and model groups were cultured as normal.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: At day 7 after culture, glial fibrillary acidic protein,microtubule-associated protein 2, and galactocerebroside immunofluorescence staining were examined to observe differentiation and calculate the percentage of NSCs differentiating into neuron-like cells or neuroglia-like cells.RESULTS: Neuron-like cells or neuroglia-like cells were visualized in all five groups. There were no significant differences in the percentage of differentiating cells between the hyperbaric oxygen group and the normal control group (P>0.05). The percentage of NSCs differentiating into neuron-like cells in the hyperbaric oxygen group was significantly greater than model, high-concentration oxygen, and high pressure groups; however, the percentage differentiating into neureglia-like cells was significantly lower (P<0.01).CONCLUSION: Hyperbaric oxygen promotes the differentiation of brain-derived neural stem cells into neuron-like cells but inhibits differentiation into neuroglia-like cells. Furthermore, the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen is superior to high-concentration oxygen and high pressure.