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G Van Zant

Publications and source records attributed to G Van Zant.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1995

Genetic factors influencing murine hematopoietic productivity in culture.

In order to study a previously described genetic difference manifested in stem cell kinetics of specific mouse strains, effects of this putative gene, stk, were measured on growth and expansion of stem and progenitor cell populations ex vivo. Bone marrow cells from each of two inbred mouse strains, C57BL/6J and DBA/2J, were placed into separate bioreactor cultures perfused continuously with growth medium containing erythropoietin (Epo), interleukin-3 (IL-3), granulocyte-macrphage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and Kit ligand as well as 5% CO2. Expansion of cell numbers reached 20-fold for DBA/2J and 10-fold for C57BL/6J marrow within about 1 week of culture. Significant production was also seen of colony-forming unit (CFU)-GM (up nine-fold from input levels) just prior to the cell production peak, and, importantly, moderate expansion of day 12 colony-forming unit-spleen (CFU-S; two- to threefold) occurred as well, although CFU-S production peaked at a relatively short 4 days. CFU-S and CFU-GM levels declined rapidly in culture, either because of unfavorable growth conditions or terminal differentiation. Attempts to remove toxic metabolites by increasing the media perfusion rate resulted in a boost in cell expansion capability by DBA/2J marrow. In bioreactors in which stromal cells were established before marrow inoculation, there was greater expansion of CFU-S (especially by DBA/2J) and CFU-GM, although total cell yield appeared to be unaffected, perhaps because the maximum cell density had already been reached. The relative high potential for CFU-S expansion measured in DBA/2J marrow over that of C57BL/6J will be useful in following genetic contributions to bone marrow production capacity.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Future paradigm for autologous bone marrow transplantation: tumor purging and ex vivo production of normal stem and progenitor cells.

A major concern in autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) is the possible contamination of the graft with tumor cells. Transplantation of malignant cells, along with normal hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, may contribute to relapse of disease. Therefore, a growing strategy is to subject autologous marrow to some type of purging procedure to eliminate tumor cells selectively. Transplantation of purged marrow, however, often results in a delayed engraftment associated with (specific or nonspecific) loss of normal stem and progenitor cells during manipulations related to the purging process. A new and burgeoning field in the area of clinical bone marrow transplantation is the ex vivo production of stem and progenitor cells. Several advantages accrue to this strategy. First, this technology makes it possible to expand the stem and progenitor cell population of a small volume of bone marrow or mobilized peripheral blood (MPB), thus lessening the initial tumor burden to be purged. Secondly, ex vivo marrow or MPB expansion may overcome the significant problem of delayed engraftment by rebuilding the numbers of normal stem and progenitor cells necessary for both early and durable engraftment. To accomplish these and other objectives, an automated and closed, clinical-scale bioreactor system, based on continuous perfusion technology, is being developed and will soon enter clinical trials.

Bone Marrow Purging↗
PubMed1994

Expansion in bioreactors of human progenitor populations from cord blood and mobilized peripheral blood.

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) and mobilized peripheral blood (MPB) provide an alternate source to bone marrow for transplantation. Expansion in vitro of stem/progenitor cell populations from these sources may provide adult-sized grafts otherwise not attainable because of the limited cell numbers available in the case of UCB or because of numerous rounds of apheresis required for sufficient MPB cells. We asked whether continuous perfusion culture could be employed in ex vivo expansion to produce clinically relevant numbers of stem/progenitor cells from these sources. To evaluate MPB, 1-10 million leukocytes, from patients who had received either granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) or cyclophosphamide and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), were inoculated into bioreactors, with or without irradiated, allogeneic stroma. The growth factor combination in the perfusion medium consisted of interleukin-3 (IL-3), stem cell factor (SCF), GM-CSF and erythropoietin (Epo). Under the best conditions tested, total cell numbers, granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-GM), and long-term culture-initiating cell (LTC-IC) populations were expanded by about 50-, 80-, and 20-fold, respectively, over 14 days. At low cell inocula (1 million), the presence of stroma enhanced the expansion of total cells and CFU-GM but not of LTC-IC. When SCF was not included in the medium, both total cells and CFU-GM expanded to a much lesser extent, but again the expansion of LTC-IC was not affected. At the higher cell inoculum (10 million), expansions of total cells and CFU-GM were equivalent with or without stroma. To evaluate UCB, cells were placed into bioreactors with or without irradiated, allogeneic stroma, and the bioreactors were perfused with medium containing the four standard growth factors. After 6-14 days, in several independent experiments, 20-24 million cells were harvested from bioreactors perfused with SCF-containing medium, irrespective of the presence or absence of preformed stroma. Similarly, in reactors perfused with SCF-containing medium (with or without stroma), an average 40- to 60-fold expansion of CFU-GM was obtained, yielding an average of 1.5-1.8 x 10(5) CFU-GM per reactor. Harvested cells were thus up to 40-fold enriched in CFU-GM in comparison to the inoculum. In the absence of SCF, cell expansions averaged 1.5- to 2-fold, and CFU-GM were expanded only 10- to 14-fold by day 14. As before, the presence of preformed stroma did not affect either cell or CFU-GM yields, provided the cell inoculum was at least 4.5 million cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Apoptosis and hematopoiesis in murine fetal liver.

The fetal mouse liver (FL) is an organ of intense, but transient, hematopoietic activity during mid-gestation, with erythropoiesis being predominant during days 11 through 16. It therefore seemed reasonable to expect that hematopoietic cytokines, such as erythropoietin (epo), interleukin-3 (IL-3), and stem cell factor (SCF), may play important roles in maintaining a homeostatic balance of erythropoiesis and apoptosis in liver during ontogeny. First, we determined the effects of these growth factors on hematopoiesis by measuring colony formation and hemoglobin synthesis of cultured FLs. Secondly, we determined the protection from apoptosis afforded by these cytokines, using electrophoretic analysis of DNA and by flow cytometry of FL cells deprived in culture of epo, IL-3, and SCF. Erythropoietin was necessary and alone sufficient for hemoglobin synthesis in colony-forming units-erythroid colonies, but IL-3 was a required cofactor to obtain maximal development of burst-forming units-erythroid colonies. SCF alone caused little colony formation in methylcellulose cultures of FLs, but when combined with epo and IL-3, it had dramatic effects both on the number of colonies and their size. Secondly, indices of apoptosis were determined by measuring DNA fragmentation caused by endogenous nuclease activity in apoptotic cells. Liver cells from cultures without cytokines showed the extensive degradation of DNA to low molecular weight nucleosomal oligomers, which is characteristic of apoptosis. Protection from apoptosis afforded by epo directly corresponded to the level of erythropoiesis in FLs of different gestational age. Erythropoietin was by far the most critical cytokine in sparing FL cells from apoptosis. Analyses of agarose gels showed that SCF and IL-3 alone had no apparent effect in reducing the amount of DNA in fragments, and when combined with epo they had no more protective effect than that provided by epo alone. However, using the more sensitive flow cytometric determination of cells with subdiploid amounts of DNA, SCF, and IL-3 alone had measurable protective effects that were less than those caused by epo. Thus, we show that normal, untransformed cells of the developing hematopoietic system not only require cytokines for proliferation and differentiation, but they have an initial and absolute requirement of them for protection from apoptosis.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Genetic control of murine hematopoietic stem cell pool sizes and cycling kinetics.

Bone marrow from each of two inbred mouse strains, C57BL/6J and DBA/2J, was highly enriched for stem cells using flow cytometry and was divided into two stem cell subpopulations using the mitochondrial dye rhodamine 123 (Rh-123). The Rh-123lo population was determined to be more primitive than Rh-123hi based on the expression of stem cell markers such as the c-kit protooncogene (stem cell factor receptor) and the Ly-6A/E stem cell antigen (Sca-1) as well as the lack of in vitro colony-forming ability. Compared to DBA/2J mice, marrow from the C57BL/6J strain consistently showed a higher proportion of "very primitive" (Rh-123lo) cells, suggesting that the sizes of functionally distinct stem cell subpopulations are maintained under precise genetic control. Marrow from both strains exposed to the cytotoxic drug 5-fluorouracil showed a dramatic increase in the proportion of Rh-123lo cells within 2 days as repopulation began. Marrow subpopulations returned to pretreatment proportions by the eighth day in DBA/2J mice but not until 14 days in C57BL/6J mice. This intrinsic difference in 5-fluorouracil recovery time was attributed to an increase rate of stem cell cycling in DBA/2J relative to C57BL/6J mice. When stem cell factor was injected into a C57BL/6J<-->DBA/2J allophenic mouse, blood cell chimerism shifted markedly but transiently toward the DBA/2J genotype, suggesting that the DBA/2J target population, because of an inherent kinetic advantage, was able to respond faster to the cytokine. A model is proposed that is based on these and our earlier observations to explain this strain-specific stem cell behavior and offer new insights into the genetic control of stem cell cycling and population dynamics.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗
PubMed1992

Stem cell quiescence/activation is reversible by serial transplantation and is independent of stromal cell genotype in mouse aggregation chimeras.

We made use of a previously described in vivo model of chimeric mice created by embryo aggregation that allows the study of contributions to both lymphohematopoiesis and marrow stroma by two genotypically distinct cell populations. Day-2 embryos from C57BL/6 and DBA/2 strains were fused to produce allophenic chimeric mice that proved to have contributions from each strain in all the tissues of the body and that permitted study of competitive contributions to blood formation. Although the contribution of DBA/2 stem cells to hematopoiesis gradually ceased in an age-related manner so that all blood cells in aged chimeras were C57BL/6 in origin, here we show that, in contrast, the extent of stromal chimerism, determined by the fibroblast colony-forming unit (CFU-F) assay, was maintained and was remarkably uniform from one marrow site to another. This result is consistent with a polyclonal nonhematopoietic origin of the CFU-F and suggests that the decline in DBA/2 blood cells was not dependent on similar changes in genotype-matched stroma, but was instead an intrinsic property of this stem cell population. These intrinsic stem cell properties were further examined by serial bone marrow transplantation. When marrow from a chimera with no detectable DBA/2 blood cells was transplanted into irradiated recipients, cells of DBA/2 genotype significantly contributed to early hematopoietic engraftment, demonstrating that the DBA/2 stem cell population was not extinguished in the chimeric donor, but rather had entered a reversible state of quiescence. Reactivation of the DBA/2 stem cell population, however, was short-lived, and long-term engraftment of recipients was accomplished by donor cells of the partner strain (C57BL/6). However, transient reactivation of the quiescent (DBA/2) stem cell pool again occurred with a second round of transplantation. These surprising results demonstrate, for the first time, selective and reiterated inactivation and reactivation of a stem cell population depending on hematopoietic needs. Moreover, the results suggest that genetic differences in the stem cell populations of coexistent strains account for the selective responses described.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

Developmental potential of hematopoietic stem cells determined using retrovirally marked allophenic marrow.

Genetic markers of two general types have been used to assess the number of simultaneously productive stem cells in vivo, retrovirus markers and enzyme or hemoglobin variants. Use of the two techniques has led to different conclusions regarding stem-cell population organization, kinetics, and usage. To better understand this discrepancy, we have combined the two methods by retrovirally marking and transplanting stem cell populations of allophenic mice in which all tissues, including the hematopoietic system, are chimeric. Hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues of engrafted recipients were analyzed by Southern blotting to determine the number and extent of participation of individually marked stem cells. Genotypic chimerism of the same tissues was determined by quantitating electrophoretic variants of glucose phosphate isomerase. This procedure permitted the genotypic identification of individual stem-cell clones. The results demonstrate the participation of few pluripotent stem cells in the repopulation and maintenance of engrafted hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues. Furthermore, stem cells used during the period of early engraftment tended to be of one genotype (DBA/2), whereas stem cells used for long-term maintenance tended to be of the other, coexistent genotype (C57BL/6). We propose that this genotypic specificity reflects functional differences in stem-cell subpopulations and their relative prevalence in different mouse strains suggests a genetic component in the organization and usage of stem cells.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Differentiation of chimeric bone marrow in vivo reveals genotype-restricted contributions to hematopoiesis.

Bone marrow transplantation is of increasing utility in cancer treatment and is an important component of gene therapy protocols. Understanding the functional identities of progenitor cells involved in repopulation is important for the optimal application of this procedure. We have simultaneously used two types of genetic markers to study engraftment of mice after irradiation. The first involves intrinsic genetic differences, including a cellular marker, between two mouse strains used to construct chimeric mice by aggregating embryos. To produce a second marking system, bone marrow from these allophenic mice was subsequently infected with retrovirus. Individual progenitor cells, including primitive lympho-hematopoietic stem cells, participating in repopulation were identified by virtue of their uniquely marked clonal progeny. In this way numbers and genotypic identities of clones contributing to repopulation were determined. Engraftment could be divided into two distinguishable temporal phases. The first comprised roughly the first 3-4 months following transplant and was characterized by numerous clones, many of which apparently had limited lineage potencies. The subsequent phase was characterized by few, often a single, clones represented in all lympho-hematopoietic tissues. These findings are consistent with the notion that different classes of progenitor cells are differentially responsible for temporal progression. More differentiated, perhaps lineage restricted, progenitors transiently dominate the first few months before the emergence of pluripotent stem cell clones. Senescence of progenitors of the first phase may reflect their limited lifespans. A clear genotypic difference was obvious in engraftment. Cells of one strain, DBA/2, completely dominated the first temporal phase, whereas the C57BL/6 partner strain dominated the second phase. The genotype-restricted dominance of different stages of repopulation suggests important differences in the organization and regulation of stem and progenitor cell populations. Inherent differences in seeding, proliferation, and differentiation of progenitors of the two inbred strains may account for the differences. This in vivo model of competitive repopulation provides the opportunity to explore potentially important loci in the process of engraftment. We propose that DBA/2 progenitor cells, due to a proliferative and/or numerical advantage, account for their superiority immediately after engraftment. C57BL/6 stem cells, with long-term repopulating potential, predominate later, perhaps because of subtle numerical or proliferative advantages.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Genotype-restricted growth and aging patterns in hematopoietic stem cell populations of allophenic mice.

We have studied contributions to hematopoiesis of genetically distinct stem cell populations in allophenic mice. Chimeras were made by aggregating embryos of inbred strains known to differ with respect to stem cell population kinetics. One partner strain (DBA/2) has previously been shown to normally have a stem cell (CFU-S) population of which 24% are in S-phase of the cell cycle, whereas the homologous population of the other partner strain (C57BL/6) was characterized by having only 2.6% in cycle (7). Contributions of the chimeric stem cell population to mature blood cell pools were studied throughout the life of the mice and intrinsic differences in stem cell function and aging were reflected in dynamic patterns of blood cell composition. The DBA/2 stem cell population was eclipsed by stem cells of the C57BL/6 genotype and, after 1.5-3 yr, the hemato-lymphoid composition of 22 of 27 mice studied for this long had shifted by at least 25 percentage points toward the C57BL/6 genotype. 8 of the 27 had hematolymphoid populations solely of C57BL/6 origin. To test whether or not a population of stem cells with an inherently higher cycling rate (DBA/2) might have a competitive advantage during repopulation, we engrafted allophenic marrow into lethally irradiated (C57BL/6 x DBA/2)F1 recipients. DBA/2 hematopoiesis was predominant early, far outstripping its representation in the marrow graft. Perhaps as a consequence of inherently greater DBA/2 stem cell proliferation, the populations of developmentally more restricted precursor populations (CFU-E, BFU-E, CFU-GM, CFU-GEMM) showed an overwhelming DBA/2 bias in the first 2-3 mo after engraftment. However, as in the allophenic mice themselves during the aging process, the C57BL/6 genotypic representation was ascendant over the subsequent months. The shift toward C57BL/6 genotype was first documented in the marrow and spleen precursor cell populations and was subsequently reflected in the circulating, mature blood cells. Bone marrow-derived stromal cell cultures from engrafted mice were studied and genotypic analyses showed donor representation in stromal cell populations that reflected donor hematopoietic contributions in the same recipient. Results from these studies involving two in vivo settings (allophenic mice and engraftment by allophenic marrow) are consistent with the notion that a cell autonomous difference in stem cell proliferation confers on one population a competitive repopulating advantage, but at the expense of longevity.

Aging↗
PubMed1989

A population of murine hematopoietic progenitors expresses an endogenous retroviral gp70 linked to the Rmcf gene and associated with resistance to erythroleukemia.

Multiple copies of retroviral sequences are stably integrated in the genomes of many higher organisms, and are thus transmitted vertically to offspring via the germline (1). Most of these heritable viral genes are not expressed, and expression, when observed, is commonly limited to envelope (env) genes as demonstrated by the presence of cell surface and serum envelope glycoprotein (gp70) in mice. Studies of the mouse have shown that certain tissues such as the reproductive tract and lymphoid organs are common sites for the expression of endogenous env genes, suggesting that the transcription of at least some endogenous sequences is tissue specific. The transcription of endogenous viral genes is regulated by both cis and trans mechanisms (2-5) and their expression can be temporally linked to differentiation and development (6-8). The consequences to the host of endogenous retroviral genes are varied. At one extreme, expression of endogenous virus can result in the development of leukemia and death. Another potentially detrimental effect is that of insertional mutagenesis, seen when the integration of retroviral sequences interrupts the functioning of a cellular gene (9, 10). However, it is now clear that expression of endogenous retroviral genes may also have a beneficial effect for the host: namely, mediating resistance to retroviral leukemias as has been demonstrated for the Fv-4 gene in mice (11) and some ea loci in chickens (12). This form of resistance is due to the blockage of cellular viral receptors by the expression of envelope glycoprotein on the cell surface. The Rmcf locus of the mouse is another resistance gene that may exert its effect by the expression of an endogenous env gene. A summary of our current state of knowledge concerning the Rmcf gene is shown in Table I. The Rmcf gene was originally described when it was observed that fibroblast cell cultures derived from certain strains of mice restricted the replication of recombinant mink cell focus-forming(MCF)1 viruses (13). As detailed in Table I, DBA/2 mice are the prototypic strain exhibiting the Rmcf resistance (Rmcf(r)) phenotype. Cell cultures from other strains, such as C57BL/6 and IRW, are permissive for MCF viral replication and are termed Rmcf sensitive (Rmcf(s)). Previously, we described two allelic forms of an endogenous env gene, whose expression is linked to the Rmcf gene (14). Cell cultures from Rmcf(r) mice express gp70 related to that of MCF viruses, whereas cultures derived from Rmcf(s) mice either express no gp70 (IRW) or express an endogenous xenotropic gp70 (C57BL/6). These two gp70 alleles are detectable by type-specific mAbs.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Hematologic abnormalities of the immunodeficient mouse mutant, viable motheaten (mev).

We have studied the hematopoietic system of the immunodeficient mouse mutant, viable motheaten (mev/mev). These mice usually die by 9 weeks of age from severe pneumonitis. The lungs at that time are infiltrated with granulocytes, macrophages, and lymphocytes. Granulocyte and macrophage precursor cells (CFU-GM) are dramatically increased in the spleens of mev/mev mice, whereas the bone marrow population of these precursors is decreased when compared with littermate control animals. The CFU-GM population retained its normal dependence on granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) for proliferation and differentiation. In contrast, the frequency of an erythroid precursor (CFU-E) was dramatically increased in spleen and showed increased sensitivity to erythropoietin (Epo). Moreover, a splenic CFU-E subpopulation formed normally appearing erythroid colonies in the absence of exogenous Epo. The bone marrow CFU-E population was significantly diminished in size when compared with either wildtype C57BL/6J mice or mice heterozygous for the mev allele. Unlike the CFU-E population, erythroid burst-forming unit (BFU-E) frequency in mev/mev mice was diminished both in bone marrow and in spleen, although the total number of splenic BFU-E was increased because of splenomegaly in these animals. BFU-E retained their dependence on the presence of both Epo and a source of interleukin 3 (IL-3) for proliferation and differentiation into erythroid bursts. Spleen cells from mev/mev mice, when stimulated in vitro with pokeweed mitogen, failed to produce significant quantities of IL-3. Comparison with medium or +/mev heterozygotes revealed that mev/mev spleen cell-conditioned medium showed a 40-fold reduction in burst-promoting activity. Thus, in viable motheaten mice, there is a major shift in hematopoiesis from bone marrow to spleen, which is accompanied by a diminished capacity of spleen cells to produce burst-promoting activity. These data and those from other studies suggest that the hematopoietic microenvironment of marrow may be impaired in this mutant.

Aging↗
PubMed1987

Quantitation of erythroid differentiation in vitro using a sensitive colorimetric assay for hemoglobin.

We have developed a new colorimetric method to detect early erythroid clonogenic progenitor cells by virtue of their hemoglobin-containing progeny in vitro. The method relies upon the specific oxidation of 2,7-diaminofluorene (DAF) by the pseudoperoxidase activity of hemoglobin (Hb). Generation of fluorene blue (FB), the chromophore generated upon oxidation of DAF, was a linear function of Hb and erythrocyte concentration. Measurement of FB absorbance at 610 nm was 80 times more sensitive than measurement of Hb absorbance at 530 nm. The limit of resolution was approximately 8 pmol of Hb corresponding to the Hb content of approximately 5000 murine peripheral blood erythrocytes. FB concentration closely paralleled eight-day BFU-E colony formation as a function of erythropoietin dose. However, the method was unable to detect a response for CFU-E to erythropoietin because of persistently high background levels of Hb in two-day cultures. Generation of FB by cells likely to contain myeloperoxidase was negligible, and FB production was not correlated with the number of CFU-GM colonies. DAF oxidation by hemoglobin showed a higher hydrogen peroxide optimum than oxidation by microperoxidase, so that, under the conditions used, FB generation by peroxidase was not favored. As a further confirmation of specificity, peritoneal exudate cells failed to show significant generation of FB. The DAF reagent was also used to stain both CFU-E and BFU-E colonies in situ, and was more sensitive than benzidine dihydrochloride in the histochemical detection of Hb. DAF can replace hazardous benzidine-related compounds for the staining erythroid colonies in culture dishes, and the method offers a new quantitative approach to the study of erythropoietin responsiveness in vitro.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Resistance to erythroleukemia in immunodeficient xid- CBA/N mice with susceptibility after immune stimulation.

CBA/N (xid-) mice failed to develop erythroleukemia when inoculated with an NB-tropic, anemia-causing Friend virus stock (FVA), while Fv-2ss mouse strains succumbed rapidly to the characteristic Friend disease, even after a virus dose 30-fold lower than that given to CBA/N mice. Immunization with bacterial antigens or with spleen cell allografts prior to FVA inoculation rendered CBA/N mice highly susceptible to FVA. Transplantation studies confirmed that non-immunized CBA/N mice were able to both support erythroleukemic cells and permit erythroleukemic transformation, thus arguing against host defense mechanisms as a cause of resistance. On the basis of early erythroid progenitor cell sensitivity to hydroxyurea in vivo, the CBA/N strain appeared to have the FVA sensitive genotype (Fv-2ss). These results imply that CBA/N mice are not intrinsically resistant to FVA and that an as yet unknown type of immunological activity, evoked both by various immunizations and allogeneic transplantation, is required for Friend leukemogenesis in this immunodeficient inbred strain. These findings further suggest that the erythroid target cells transformed by Friend viruses are influenced by immunological activity.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Amphotericin-B and monensin potentiation of murine erythropoiesis in vitro: a possible role for sodium ions.

To study the role of monovalent cation flux in erythropoiesis we cultured mouse bone marrow cells with amphotericin B (AmB), monensin, valinomycin, or Etruscomycin. At low doses the polyene antibiotic AmB has been shown to increase cell permeability to Na+ and K+ and we found that it potentiated erythropoietin (epo)-stimulated erythroid-colony (CFU-E) and burst (BFU-E) growth at concentrations ranging from 0.5-1.0 micrograms/ml. Monensin, a sodium-specific ionophore, potentiated epo-stimulated erythroid growth at concentrations of 1-30 nM. On the other hand, a potassium-specific ionophore, valinomycin, did not cause potentiation, but rather suppressed epo-dependent colony formation. Etruscomycin, another polyene, but one which in mammalian cells increases ion permeability only at toxic concentrations, was also suppressive. Potentiating concentrations of AmB and monensin increased the sensitivity of CFU-E and BFU-E to epo and at saturating epo levels increased the numbers of erythroid colonies and bursts by about 40%. Neither AmB nor monensin stimulated erythroid growth in the absence of epo. We found a 20-fold difference in the AmB concentrations comprising the maximally potentiating dose in C57BL/6 and AKR marrow cultures. This is consistent with observed differences between these two mouse strains with regard to other effects of AmB on them, including the immunoadjuvant properties of AmB. Our results showing potentiation due to sodium ion flux may be related to previous work showing potentiation of erythroid differentiation caused by calcium ion flux, since sodium ion movement may directly affect the intracellular calcium ion concentration.

Amphotericin B↗
PubMed1984

Studies of hematopoietic stem cells spared by 5-fluorouracil.

Mouse marrow cells were exposed to 5-fluorouracil (FU) either in vivo or in vitro and the effects on the hematopoietic stem cell compartment were studied. The drug was highly toxic to bone marrow cells including the spleen colony-forming unit (CFU-S) population. The small population of stem cells surviving FU, however, caused a different pattern of spleen colony growth when injected into lethally irradiated mice. Whereas numbers of spleen colonies caused by normal marrow cells remained constant during an 8-14 d period after transplantation, spleen colonies derived from FU-treated marrow cells increased by as much as 100-fold during this time. This effect on stem cells was dose dependent both in vitro and in vivo. When FU was given in vivo, the day 14/day 8 ratio of colonies was greatest 1 d after injection and, over the next 7 d, returned to a near-normal value, that is, unity. A number of studies have shown that the stem cell compartment is heterogeneous with respect to self-replicative capacity and developmental potential. An age structure for the stem cell compartment has been proposed wherein cells with a short mitotic history are more likely to self-replicate than they are to differentiate; hence they are more primitive. 'Older' stem cells with a longer mitotic history are, according to the hypothesis, more likely to differentiate. 5-fluorouracil may be toxic to the older stem cells and selectively spare the more primitive subpopulation. Although the surviving cells may not themselves be able to form spleen colonies, they may give rise to an older cohort of cells more likely to differentiate and form spleen colonies. It is the requisite developmental maturation within the stem cell compartment that may be responsible for the delay in appearance of spleen colonies derived from FU-treated marrow. Our results support this explanation and identify the locus of at least part of this activity as the bone marrow. We found that the FU-treated marrow did not cause an increase in spleen colony numbers between 8 and 14 d in hosts with a long-standing marrow aplasia, due to the incorporation of 89Sr into bone. I propose that the delayed spleen colony appearance in normal hosts is the result of developmental maturation of the primitive stem cell compartment that survives FU and is responsible for spleen colonies arising around day 14. This maturation, at least initially, occurs in the marrow and leads to the replenishment of the more differentiated CFU-S subsets ablated by FU, which are normally responsible for spleen colonies appearing earlier after transplantation.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Hoechst 33342 staining of mouse bone marrow: effects on colony-forming cells.

We have systematically studied the effect on hemopoietic colony-forming cells of staining cellular DNA with the bisbenzimidazole dye, Hoechst 33342. Mouse bone marrow cells could be adequately stained in a 30-60 min incubation with a 5 microM concentration of stain. Flow-cytometric analysis of stained cells provided cell distributions with coefficients of variation for the G1 peaks of 6% or less under these conditions. We found considerable heterogeneity among hemopoietic colony-forming cells with respect to the toxicity of the dye. Toxicity in the proliferatively quiescent stem cell population was not changed when the population became proliferatively active. In the sequence of most sensitive to least sensitive, the five progenitors studied could be arranged as follows: CFU-M, a megakaryocyte colony-forming cell; CFU-E, a relatively differentiated erythroid precursor; BFU-E, a primitive erythroid precursor; CFU-GM, a granulocyte-macrophage precursor; and CFU-S, the spleen colony-forming cell or hemopoietic stem cell. A staining procedure involving a 30-min exposure to 5 microM Hoechst 33342 provided optimal staining and no loss in four of the five progenitor populations; the CFU-M population was diminished by about 50%. We conclude that Hoechst can be regarded as a vital DNA stain for most bone marrow precursor populations, including the hemopoietic stem cell.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Genetic control of hematopoietic kinetics revealed by analyses of allophenic mice and stem cell suicide.

The pluripotential hematopoietic stem cell is influenced by at least one gene that differs between DBA/2 and C3H/He, and C57BL/6 inbred mouse strains. This gene(s) manifests itself by its effect on susceptibility to killing of spleen colony forming cells (CFU-S) caused by hydroxyurea (HU). In strains DBA/2 and C3H/He 20% of the CFU-S population is normally in S phase whereas practically none from strain C57BL/6 are synthesizing DNA. On the other hand, in C57BL/6 in equilibrium DBA/2 allophenic mice we observed that the proportion of DBA/2 erythrocytes was higher than the proportion of DBA/2 lymphocytes; the fraction of platelets and neutrophils with the DBA/2 genotype fell between the values for erythrocytes and lymphocytes. Control experiments using mice congenic at the Fv-2 locus confirm that in both situations we are examining effects of a gene(s) other than Fv-2. For the effect on the S phase fraction of CFU-S, we refer to the gene(s) as Stk (stem cell kinetics). We suggest that the observed skewing in composition among the various mature blood cell types in C57BL/6 in equilibrium DBA/2 allophenic mice is caused by allelic variants of the Stk gene. Such variation would favor the formation of DBA/2 erythrocytes, platelets, and neutrophils over those of the C57BL/6 genotype.

Animals↗