Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have been shown to differentiate into cells of a neural lineage. However, no studies have examined whether gender influences the differentiation potential of BMSCs. Here, we explore the possible differences in BMSC's neurogenic potential in vitro between female rhesus monkey BMSCs (F-rhBMSCs) and male rhBMSCs (M-rhBMSCs). We first isolated and cultured rhBMSCs from female and male donors (n = 6, 2 years old), identified their sex origin by karyotype assay, and assessed their expression of nestin and CD34 at passage 1 and 10. Then, nestin-positive F- and M-rhBMSCs at P10 were differentiated into neural-like cells. After induction, the neurogenic potential of these cells was assessed by morphological observation and protein expression analysis of neural markers, including class III beta-tubulin, neurofilament light polypeptide, tau, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmitter. Furthermore, GABA content was assayed using high-pressure liquid chromatography. The results showed that F-rhBMSCs produced significantly more nestin-positive cells compared with M-rhBMSCs at P10 and that nestin-positive F-rhBMSCs acquired higher neurogenic potential accompanied by increased synthesis and excretion of GABA compared with nestin-positive M-rhBMSCs under conditions of differentiation. These results indicated that gender may play an important role in the neurogenic potential of BMSCs, and a further understanding of the cellular biology underlying these differences may contribute to the development of new therapeutic strategies for neurological repair and regeneration. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.