摘要β-mercaptoethanol induces in vitro adult adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) to differentiate into neurons. However, the ultrastructural features of the differentiated neuronal-like cells remain unknown. In the present study, inverted phase contrast microscopy was utilized to observe β-mercaptcethanol-induced differentiation of neuronal-like cells from human ADSCs, and immunocytochemistry and real-time polymerase chain reaction were employed to detect expression of a neural stem cells marker (nestin), a neuronal marker (neuron-specific enolase), and a glial marker (glial fibrillary acidic protein). In addition, ultrastructure of neuronal-like cells was observed by transmission election microscopy. Results revealed highest expression rate of nestin and neuron-specific enolase at 3 and 5 hours following induced differentiation; cells in the 5-hour induction group exhibited a neuronal-specific structure, i.e., Nissl bodies. However, when induction solution was replaced by complete culture medium after 8-hour induction, the differentiated cells reverted to the fibroblast-like morphology from day 1. These results demonstrate that β-mercaptoethanol-induced ADSCs induced differentiation into neural stem cells, followed by morphology of neuronal-like cells. However, this differentiation state was not stable.