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In this study we have explored the effect of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) and recombinant murine GM-CSF on megakaryocyte progenitors (colony forming units-megakaryocyte [CFU-Mk]) using a serum-free fibrin clot assay and enriched primitive hematopoietic progenitors of marrow cells from day 4 post-5-fluorouracil-treated mice. We have monitored the production of high proliferative potential-colony forming cells ([HPP-CFC]; compact colonies, > 0.5 mm) and studied their relationship to CFU-Mk formation. EPO induced the formation of small numbers of megakaryocyte colonies, but acted together with the megakaryocyte-stimulating factors, stem cell factor (SCF) and interleukin (IL-3), to augment the size of CFU-Mk (colonies with > 50 megakaryocytes/colony). A strong correlation between the number of CFU-Mk and HPP-CFC formation from 5-fluorouracil bone marrow cells was observed when these cells were stimulated with EPO in the presence of SCF and IL-3. On the other hand, GM-CSF alone had no effect on megakaryocyte colony formation. Moreover, GM-CSF in the presence of SCF and IL-3 potentiates the HPP-CFC formation (i.e., an increase of 3.1-fold compared to the effect induced by SCF+IL-3) with strong inhibitory effects on the number and size of megakaryocyte colonies. Although several studies suggest that EPO and GM-CSF can stimulate megakaryocytopoiesis, our results indicate that neither EPO nor GM-CSF alone are sufficient to stimulate primitive progenitors committed to the megakaryocyte lineage. The fact that EPO can exert a strong effect on the size of CFU-Mk induced by SCF/IL-3 suggests that only those megakaryocyte progenitors previously stimulated by other megakaryocyte stimulating factors are able to respond to EPO. These findings may explain the physiological and clinical observations in which high levels of EPO are often associated with thrombocytosis.

The growth-promoting activities of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in combination with early-acting hematopoietic factors, i.e., stem cell factor (SCF) and interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), on primitive hematopoietic and megakaryocyte progenitors (high proliferative potential colony-forming cells [HPP-CFC] and colony-forming units-megakaryocyte [CFU-Mk], respectively) from 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-treated murine bone marrow cells (BMC) were evaluated in serum-free fibrin clot cultures. IL-6 in combination with SCF and IL-1 induced an irregular and abortive hematopoiesis characterized by a reduction in colony size of at least 50% over those stimulated by SCF + IL-1 + IL-3 and an inability to continue growth to day 12. Moreover, IL-6 in combination with the early-acting factors, SCF and IL-1, had no effect on the formation of HPP-CFC. IL-6 is synergistic with SCF + IL-1 on day 7 CFU-Mk but did not stimulate large day 12 CFU-Mk. Our results suggest that, in the absence of serum, IL-6 prevents the continued proliferation of early hematopoietic and megakaryocytic progenitors initiated by SCF + IL-1 + IL-3. Optimization of cytokine combinations for use in ex vivo expansion of marrow progenitors, either for stem cell transplants or gene therapy, must consider not only the number of colonies but their size, as well as the contributions of serum components.

The recently cloned c-mpl ligand, thrombopoietin (Tpo), has been extensively characterized with regard to its ability to stimulate the growth, development, and ploidy of megakaryocyte progenitor cells and platelet production in vitro and in vivo. Primitive hematopoietic progenitors have been shown to express c-mpl, the receptor for Tpo. In the present study, we show that Tpo efficiently promotes the viability of a subpopulation of Lin-Sca-1+ bone marrow progenitor cells. The ability of Tpo to maintain viable Lin-Sca-1+ progenitors was comparable to that of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-1, whereas stem cell factor (SCF) promoted the viability of a higher number of Lin-Sca-1+ progenitor cells when incubated for 40 hours. However, after prolonged (> 40 hours) preincubation, the viability-promoting effect of Tpo was similar to that of SCF. An increased number of progenitors surviving in response to Tpo had megakaryocyte potential (37%), although almost all of the progenitors produced other myeloid cell lineages as well, suggesting that Tpo acts to promote the viability of multipotent progenitors. The ability of Tpo to promote viability of Lin-Sca-1+ progenitor cells was observed when cells were plated at a concentration of 1 cell per well in fetal calf serum-supplemented and serum-depleted medium. Finally, the DNA strand breakage elongation assay showed that Tpo inhibits apoptosis of Lin-Sca-1+ bone marrow cells. Thus, Tpo has a potent ability to promote the viability and suppress apoptosis of primitive multipotent progenitor cells.

Thrombopoietin (TPO), the ligand for c-mpl, has recently been demonstrated to be the primary regulator of megakaryocytopoiesis and platelet production. In addition, several studies have demonstrated that c-mpl is expressed on hematopoietic cell populations highly enriched in primitive progenitor cells. Here we summarize and discuss recent studies from our laboratory, as well as others, demonstrating that TPO has effects on primitive hematopoietic progenitor cells. When acting alone, TPO stimulates little or no growth, but promotes viability and suppresses apoptosis of murine multipotent (Lin- Sca-1+) bone marrow progenitor cells in vitro. In addition, TPO directly and potently synergizes with other early acting cytokines (kit ligand, flt3 ligand and interleukin 3) to promote multilineage growth of the same progenitor cell population. Although it remains to be established whether TPO also acts on the long-term reconstituting pluripotent stem cells, these studies combined with progenitor cell studies in c-mpl-deficient mice, suggest that TPO, in addition to its key role in platelet production, might also have an important impact on early hematopoiesis.

Human colony forming units (CFUs) from both malignant and hematopoietic tissues can be assayed in vitro in microcapillary cultures, an alternative cloning system to the Petri dish methodology. For technical reasons, microcapillary culture may be ideally suited for new drug screening by therapeutic index. To achieve the high output required by screening programs, automated quantitation of CFUs is required. Toward this end, this paper reports the development of a prototype CapScan, an image analysis system that uses a novel axial laser illumination system to detect tumor cell colonies and, with technical modifications, CFU-granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM) colonies in microcapillary cultures. As currently configured, the CapScan can quantify colonies grown in a rack of 18 microcapillary cultures in 30 minutes or less. The sensitivity and detection specificity of tumor cell colonies is >90% with a coefficient of variance of 5-40%, dependent upon colony number. Over a range of colony numbers, CapScan and manual colony counts showed a linear correlation > -0.9, and yielded identical results in assays of doxorubicin inhibition of clonogenic P388 cells. As an additional advantage, the growth kinetics of individual colonies can also be monitored with the CapScan, making distinctions between cytotoxic and cytostatic drugs possible; colonies of freshly isolated human tumor cells can also be quantified. Thus, a microcapillary-based human tumor cloning assay that tests for resistance and/or sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents may be useful in drug development programs and may also facilitate the development of chemotherapy for individual patient tumors, especially when tumor availability is limited.

The cytotoxicity of a recombinant interleukin 6 (IL-6)-diphtheria toxin (DT) fusion protein towards human myeloma cell lines was investigated. DAB389-IL-6 inhibited protein synthesis and methylcellulose colony formation by U266 myeloma cells. In the clonogenic assay, the fusion protein approached the level of cytotoxicity achieved by native DT. The specificity of killing by DAB389-IL-6 was demonstrated by inhibition of cytotoxicity by a molar excess of free rhIL-6. The effect of DAB389-IL-6 on colony formation by six OCI-My cell lines was assessed. Similar to U266 cells, colony growth by the OCI-My 5 and -My 2 cell lines was inhibited in a simple dose dependent manner. However, a biphasic effect was observed for the IL-6 dependent OCI-My 4 cells; DAB389-IL-6 stimulated colony formation at low (< or = 10(-11) M) concentrations, yet was inhibitory at higher doses. Three other cell lines whose growth was not altered by IL-6 were relatively unaffected by DAB389-IL-6, despite their sensitivity to native DT. Flow cytometric analysis for IL-6 receptor expression using phycoerythrin-conjugated IL-6 demonstrated specific binding sites on both DAB389-IL-6 sensitive and certain insensitive cell lines, suggesting that other factors in addition to the expression of IL-6 receptors are involved in killing by the fusion toxin. Despite evidence for a role of IL-6 in myeloid cell development, normal bone marrow was insensitive to the IL-6 fusion toxin. In cultures containing both normal bone marrow and U266 cells DAB389-IL-6 effectively inhibited the growth of U266 myeloma colonies but had little effect on normal bone marrow erythroid, granulocyte and mixed erythroid/granulocyte colony growth. From these experiments we conclude that DAB389-IL-6 is specifically cytotoxic towards a subset of IL-6-responsive human myeloma cell lines and may be useful, in some cases, in the selective elimination of tumour cells from mixed populations of normal and malignant cells.

Mycobacterial infection is a common complication of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) frequently requiring antimycobacterial medication. It was of interest to determine if one such agent, rifabutin, could be tolerated by AIDS patients in conjunction with 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT) therapy. We evaluated the in vitro myelotoxic effects of rifabutin on human hematopoietic progenitor cells, alone and in combination with AZT (rifabutin: AZT, 1:10 ratio) over a range of concentrations in a microcapillary assay. Both rifabutin and AZT at 5 microM were moderately toxic to hematopoietic progenitors, inhibiting colony formation by 57-65% and 59-63%, respectively. The combination of rifabutin (5 microM) and AZT (50 microM) inhibited colony formation by 59-73%. Granulocyte-macrophage progenitors were less sensitive to this combination than erythroid progenitors. The combination of ribabutin and AZT did not exceed the in vitro myelotoxicity to human progenitors of AZT alone. These results suggest that rifabutin may be tolerated in AIDS patients, with no anticipated increase in myelotoxicity when given with AZT.

The myelotoxicities of three antiretroviral agents, 3'-azido-3'-deoxythymidine (AZT), carbovir (CBV) and 2',3'-didehydro-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (d4T), were evaluated in vitro with normal human and murine haematopoietic progenitor cells. These studies demonstrated that continuous AZT exposure was more inhibitory to human and murine colony formation than 1 h exposure, with murine and human progenitors similarly inhibited by continuous AZT exposure. These in vitro results on AZT's myelotoxicity correlate with both human and murine in vivo studies. CBV was only moderately toxic to human and murine cells following either 1 h or continuous exposure, with human and murine progenitors similarly suppressed by continuous CBV exposure. 1 h d4T exposure was less toxic to both human and murine marrow cells than continuous exposure and both species were equivalently inhibited when continuously exposed to d4T. In general, CBV was the least toxic agent to human and murine haematopoietic cells and AZT the most toxic. The study establishes CBV and d4T as less myelotoxic agents to human and murine haematopoietic progenitor cells in vitro than AZT which therefore could be considered as alternatives to AZT for the treatment of HIV infection.

Four nucleoside analogues, 2',3'-dideoxyinosine (ddI), 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine (ddA), 2',3'-dideoxycytosine (ddC) and 5-fluoro-2',3'-dideoxycytosine (5-F-ddC), were evaluated for their potential in vitro myelotoxic effects on normal murine hematopoietic progenitor cells. Myeloid granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-gm), erythroid burst-forming units (BFU-e) and colony-forming units (CFU-e) and megakaryocytic (CFU-meg) progenitors were exposed to the agents for 1 h prior to culture in Petri dish assays or continuously throughout the entire culture period. At 10 microM, both ddA and ddI were moderately toxic (2-36% colony inhibition) to murine CFU-gm, BFU-e, CFU-e and CFU-meg following either 1 h or continuous exposure. Colony inhibition for the progenitors ranged from 2-31% at 10 microM for 1 h ddC or 5-F-ddC exposure. Continuous exposure to ddC was highly myelotoxic to murine hematopoietic progenitors with 100 microM suppressing colony formation 82-89%. At the same concentration and exposure time, 5-F-ddC inhibited colony formation 56-67%. Our results demonstrate that 1 h and continuous exposures to ddA and ddI were similarly myelotoxic to murine hematopoietic cells regardless of exposure time. In contrast, continuous ddC or 5-F-ddC exposure was more toxic to murine progenitors than 1 h exposure to these agents.

The in vitro myelotoxic potentials of three investigational antitumor agents, Fostriecin, Hepsulfam and pyrazine diazohydroxide (PZDH), were evaluated utilizing clonogenic assays. Human and murine marrow cells were exposed to each drug for 1 hr prior to culture in microcapillary (human) or Petri dish (murine) assays. Fostriecin (0.22-220 microM), Hepsulfam (0.34-340 microM) and PZDH (0.68-680 microM) inhibited myeloid (CFU-gm), erythroid (BFU-e, CFU-e) and megakaryocytic (CFU-meg) colony formation in a concentration-dependent manner. CFU-e from both species were more sensitive to Fostriecin than the other progenitors and murine cells more sensitive overall to Fostriecin than their human counterparts. Murine CFU-e were also more sensitive to Hepsulfam than human CFU-e, with CFU-gm and BFU-e being similarly affected in both species. Human BFU-e were greatly inhibited by PZDH, whereas murine BFU-e were relatively resistant to its toxic effects. Fostriecin was the most toxic of the three antitumor agents, with PZDH the least toxic.

We describe the establishment of a convenient method of acquiring human bone marrow cells for use in microcapillary clonal assays. Femoral epiphyseal and diaphyseal bone fragments and femoral canal reamings were collected incidental to total hip replacement surgery and cultured for human granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units, erythroid burst-forming units and erythroid colony-forming units. This readily available source of normal human marrow provides an abundant quantity of hematopoietic progenitors of documented normalcy.

Three nucleoside analogues, 2',3'-dideoxyadenosine (ddA), 2',3'-dideoxyinosine (ddI), and 2',3'-dideoxycytosine (ddC), were evaluated for their potential myelotoxic effects to normal human hematopoietic progenitor cells. The myeloid (granulocyte-monocyte colony-forming units, CFU-gm) and erythroid (erythroid burst-forming units, BFU-e: and erythroid colony-forming units, CFU-e) committed progenitor cells were exposed to the agents for a 1-h period prior to culture in a microcapillary assay or continuously exposed during the entire culture period. Both ddA and ddI (100 microM) were mildly toxic (less than 50% colony inhibition) to human CFU-gm, BFU-e, and CFU-e following either 1-h or continuous exposures. Marrow progenitor sensitivities to ddA and ddI were indistinguishable. Colony inhibition ranged from 47% to 67% for 1-h ddC exposure (100 microM), values that were comparable to ddA and ddI. Continuous exposure to ddC was highly myelotoxic to human hematopoietic progenitors, with concentrations of 10 and 100 microM suppressing colony formation by 79%-92% and 93%-97%, respectively. These results demonstrate that 1-h and continuous exposures to ddA and ddI were similarly myelotoxic to human hematopoietic cells, whereas a 1-h exposure to ddC was equivalent to ddA and ddI, yet continuous ddC exposure was extremely toxic to marrow cell progenitors.

The effects of L-buthionine sulfoximine (L-BSO) and L-phenylalanine mustard (L-PAM), alone and in combination, on human and murine marrow were explored using in vitro clonogenic assays to establish whether enhanced myelotoxicity might limit the clinical utility of this potent chemotherapeutic combination. One-h exposure to L-PAM produced significant concentration-dependent colony inhibition, with 70% inhibitory concentration (IC70) values ranging from 4.5 to 7.2 microM for all hematopoietic progenitors assayed. The combination of L-PAM plus 4500 microM L-BSO for 1 h did not effectively alter the IC70 values derived for L-PAM alone. In studies where marrow cells were pretreated with L-BSO for 4 h and then L-PAM for 1 additional h, the IC70 values were decreased in both murine and human marrow progenitors compared to the L-PAM control, suggesting modest potentiation of myelotoxicity. The potentiation is not so significant as to preclude human studies with this combination. One- to 5-h exposure of marrow cells from both species to 4500 microM L-BSO was only mildly myelotoxic, producing colony reductions of 22-49%. However, continuous exposure to L-BSO produced concentration-dependent colony inhibition, with IC70 values of 70, 84, and 43 microM for murine colony-forming units-granulocyte/macrophage, blast-forming units-erythroid, and colony-forming unit-erythroid, respectively.

Ouabain has been shown to increase the number of clonally derived erythroid stem cells, CFUE and BFUE, from normal murine bone marrow. We report here that digoxin and theophylline also enhance erythroid stem cell colony formation, in the presence of suboptimal concentrations of erythropoietin (Ep) (0.01 IU/ml) in methylcellulose culture. Both digoxin and theophylline increased CFUE colony formation optimally at 10(-8) M (29-81% respectively). The increase in BFUE colony formation occurred at 10(-10) M (35-76% respectively), suggesting that BFUE are more sensitive to the enhancing properties of these compounds. In addition, digoxin theophylline and ouabain were effective inhibitors of clonally derived granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells, CFUC, from normal murine marrow plated in double layer agar in the presence of 10% L-cell conditioned medium (LCM). The degree of reduction in colony formation by CFUC ranged from 11% to 100%. Digoxin and theophylline were inhibitory for CFUC in the range of 10(-2) to 10(-12) M; however, ouabain was inhibitory over a broader concentration range of 10(-4) to 10(-18) M, suggesting that ouabain has a greater influence on committed hematopoietic progenitor cell colony formation. Both ouabain and digoxin have the property of binding to Na+/K+ATPase. This may mediate the alteration of hematopoietic differentiation. Theophylline, an adenyl cyclase inhibitor, may act through alterations in cyclic nucleotide levels. These studies further indicate that digoxin, theophylline and ouabain may serve as useful tools in elucidating the underlying mechanisms of how specific growth factors influence hematopoietic growth and differentiation.

Cytochemical procedures were used to identify and quantitate granulocyte and macrophage precursors from mouse bone marrow cells in plasma clot cultures. Excellent clonal morphology and cellular enzyme activity were obtained when using plasma clots as the support matrix and buffered formalin acetone as the fixative. For cytochemical identification, naphthol AS acetate esterase staining was used for macrophages and peroxidase for granulocytes. These enzyme properties were confirmed by inactivation studies with a variety of inhibitors, group specific chemical modifications, and pinocytotic affinity for horseradish peroxidase. When mouse bone marrow cells (3 X 10(4) cells/dish) were cultured in plasma clots with human placental or L-cell-conditioned medium, 70 to 110 colonies were produced. Both pure granulocyte (CFU-g) and pure macrophage colonies (CFU-m) were observed, but approximately 5% of the total colony number was composed of mixed granulocyte/macrophage colonies (CFU-gm). The number of plated cells correlated strongly with the colony number (0.990 less than r less than 0.999).

The capillary clonogenic cell assay was developed and adapted to culture myeloid and erythroid colonies from human bone marrow cells. The plating efficiencies for femoral bone marrow granulocyte-macrophage progenitors (CFU-gm), erythroid colony-forming units (CFU-e) and erythroid burst-forming units (BFU-e) were 0.143%, 0.229% and 0.141%, respectively. Standard bone marrow progenitor Petri dish assays require a total culture volume of 1 ml per dish, and as such are not suitable for the small numbers of cells often obtained from human bone marrow samples. The microcapillary assay as developed and standardized in our laboratory has the unique advantage of being able to utilize small numbers of cells. This technique is suitable for evaluating the myelotoxicity of investigational new anti-cancer and anti-HIV agents and for further investigation of the mechanisms underlying chemotherapy-induced bone marrow toxicity.

Recent work has led to conflicting results regarding the in vitro control of erythropoiesis in mice infected with Rauscher Leukemia Virus (RLV). Some reports claimed that marrow or splenic erythropoiesis from RLV-infected mice were independent of exogenously added erythropoietin (Ep), while other reports supported the view that erythroid stem cells (CFUE) from RLV-infected mice required EP for erythroid differentiation and proliferation. Results reported here demonstrate that erythroid differentiation and proliferation. Results reported here demonstrate that CFUE cultured from RLV-inoculated mice are dependent upon Ep for erythroid differentiation. Furthermore, RLV-infected mice which had received transfusions to suppress the endogenous production of Ep not only had a reduction in spleen weight and reticulocyte percentage, but also reduced numbers of CFUE and BFUE.

Using semi-solid clonal assay systems, the cytocidal effects of chemotherapeutic drugs on hematopoietic progenitors (CFU-gm, BFU-e, CFU-e) were compared with their effects on K-562 human leukemia cells. The chemotherapeutic drugs used for these experiments were daunorubicin, cytosine arabinoside, vincristine, methotrexate, bis-chlorethyl-nitrosourea and chlorozotocin. After the cells were exposed for either 1 or 24 h to several concentrations of each drug, clear differences in suppressive effects were seen. The experimental applications of this technology and the clinical implication of these results are discussed.

A procedure which provides more accuracy in the identification and scoring of in vitro derived erythroid colonies (i.e. BFU-e and CFU-e) from normal mouse and human marrow and spleen cells has been developed. Up to now identification of erythroid colonies has been based on staining with acidified benzidine which consistently displays "background staining" of granulocyte/macrophage colonies. The staining reaction with these reagents is such that identification of erythroid colonies is less than precise. The modified benzidine procedure described herein eliminates the staining reactivity of granulocyte/macrophage colonies and specifically reacts with only those cells that contain hemoglobin. Furthermore, individual colonies and/or cells may readily be counterstained and examined by high resolution light microscopy.

A simplified methodology has been developed which makes it possible to examine the ultrastructural details of cells cloned in vitro while retaining the cell/cell relationships within semi-solid cultures. Using mouse erythropoiesis as the model for study, electron microscopy revealed many normal characteristics of red blood cell differentiation and maturation, as well as several distinct dyserythropoietic features. The usefulness of this technology should apply to fine structural studies of clonally-derived material such as hematopoietic cells, tumor cell lines and primary tumor cultures.

A previously described mathematical model of the hematopoietic stem cell system has been extended to permit a detailed understanding of the data during and after hypoxia. The model includes stem cells, erythroid and granuloid progenitors and precursors. Concerning the intramedullary feedback mechanisms two basic assumptions are made: 1) The fraction "a" of CFU-S in active cell cycle is regulated. Reduced cell densities of CFU-S, progenitors or precursors lead to an accelerated stem cell cycling. Enlarged cell densities suppress cycling. 2) The self renewal probability "p" of CFU-S is also regulated. The normal steady state is described by p = 0.5, indicating that on statistical average each dividing mother stem cell is replaced by one daughter stem cell, while the second differentiates. Diminished cell densities of CFU-S or enlarged densities of progenitors and precursors induce a more intensive self renewal (p greater than 0.5), such that the stem cell number increases. The self renewal probability declines (p less than 0.5) if too many CFU-S or too few progenitors and precursors are present. The model reproduces bone marrow data for CFU-S, BFU-E, CFU-C, CFU-E, 59 Fe-uptake and nucleated cells in hypoxia and posthypoxia. Although the ratio of differentiation into the erythroid and granuloid cell lines is kept constant in the model, a changing ratio of CFU-E and CFU-C results. The model suggests that stem cells and progenitor cells are regulated by a regulatory interference of erythropoiesis and granulopoiesis.

Recent investigations employing various ionophores and cardiac glycosides have detected an increase in the number of late-stage erythroid progenitor cells (CFU-e) cultured from normal murine marrow. We report that the cardiac glycoside, ouabain, not only increased the number of erythroid progenitor cells, but also elevated the number of the earliest erythroid colony-forming cells (BFU-e). This rise in the number of erythroid stem cells was dose dependent with a maximum increase in erythroid colony numbers observed at 10(-15) M ouabain. Furthermore, ouabain exerted its stimulatory activity by increasing the proportion of erythroid colony-forming cells (BFU-e) in cell cycle as determined by 'thymidine suicide' experiments. The substitution of dialyzed fetal calf serum in the culture medium markedly inhibited the erythroid colony stimulation by ouabain. The deficient factor in dialyzed fetal calf serum appears to be K+, because the stimulatory influence of ouabain was restored upon reconstitution of the serum with K+. These studies suggest that ouabain-induced erythropoietic enhancement may involve mechanisms other than inhibition of membrane-bound Na+/K+ATPase.

We investigated the in vivo effects of a crude extract from the urine of aplastic anemia patients (AA urinary extract) on erythroid precursor cells in the femoral bone marrow and spleens of normal adult mice. A single intraperitoneal injection of AA urinary extract induced a significant increase in the number of splenic erythroid burst-forming units (BFU-e) and erythroid colony-forming units (CFU-e) within 24 h after injection. We then injected pure recombinant erythropoietin (Epo) equivalent to the amount present in the urinary extract. This addition increased the number of splenic CFU-e by almost the same degree as the amount induced by the AA urinary extract 24 h after injection, but failed to elicit any change in the number of splenic BFU-e. In other studies, mice were injected with the same amount of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and/or pure Epo as that present in the AA urinary extract. Experiments with Limulus amebocyte lysate-adsorbed (endotoxin-depleted) or nonadsorbed (endotoxin-containing) AA urinary extracts showed that endotoxin contamination interfered with the increase in numbers of marrow CFU-e and enhanced the increase in splenic CFU-e numbers induced by pure Epo or Epo activity in the AA urinary extract. The number of splenic BFU-e, however, was not affected by administration of LPS and/or Epo or by adsorbed endotoxin. These data suggest that AA urinary extract contains a stimulating activity for mouse splenic BFU-e, and that this activity is not attributable to the Epo activity or endotoxin contamination within the urinary extract.

Clonal growth of mouse granulocyte and macrophage precursors were assayed in serum-free cultures without albumin. The number of granulocyte/macrophage colonies and clusters increased as transferrin (Trf) concentrations were increased in cultures containing serum-free L-cell-conditioned medium (LCM). On the other hand, cultures with LCM but without Trf produced relatively fewer colonies and clusters. These results indicate that Trf is one of the factors promoting the clonal growth of granulocyte and macrophage precursors in vitro. Although the presence of linoleic acid, alpha-thioglycerol, and dextran in the culture medium increased the number of granulocyte/macrophage colonies and clusters, these factors were not essential. Serum-free culture of mouse granulocyte and macrophage precursors provides a very useful system with which the activity and function of biological regulators of hematopoietic progenitors may be studied.

Comparative studies to determine the suppressive effects of chlorozotocin (2-[3-(2-chloroethyl)-3-nitrosoureido]-D-glucopyranose) and BCNU (1,3-bis[2-chloroethyl]-1-nitrosourea) on mouse and human hematopoietic precursor cells: granulocyte-macrophage precursor cells (CFU-gm), late erythroid precursor cells (CFU-e), and early erythroid precursor cells (BFU-e) were performed after in vitro incubation of 1 h with drug concentrations based on clinical administration levels. The suppressive effect of chlorozotocin on CFU-gm, BFU-e, and CFU-e hematopoietic precursor cells in the mouse was less than that of BCNU with the most significant difference seen in CFU-e colony formation. For human hematopoietic progenitor cells, however, the suppressive effect of chlorozotocin was far less than that of BCNU. When the effects of 40 micrograms/ml of chlorozotocin and 20 micrograms/ml of BCNU on human marrow were compared, there were statistically significant differences found for CFU-gm colony formation, and BFU-e and CFU-e colony numbers were significantly different for the two drugs at all comparable concentrations tested. Our results confirm the clinical data, and establish that the effects of chlorozotocin on human hematopoietic precursor cells are minimal.

Ouabain enhances the number of clonally derived erythroid stem cell colonies (CFU-e and BFU-e) from normal murine bone marrow. Ouabain is known to inhibit lymphocyte proliferation by blocking the Na+/K+ pump. To further explore these Na+/K+ ATPase-associated interrelationships, valinomycin, an inhibitor of Na+/K+ ATPase was employed. The addition of valinomycin (10(-11) to 10(-15) M) in the presence of ouabain and erythropoietin (Ep) did not alter the erythroid colony-forming stimulation which was characteristic of cultures in which only ouabain (10(-15) M) and Ep were added. Valinomycin did effectively block both CFU-e and BFU-e formation when it was added in the range of 10(-3) to 10(-9) M. The mechanism of this valinomycin-induced inhibition and ouabain stimulation is discussed.

Bone marrow erythroid progenitor cells were examined from 50 cases of acute leukaemia and from 20 normal subjects using an in vitro semisolid culture method. Numbers of both primitive erythroid progenitor cells (BFU-e) and later-stage erythroid progenitor cells (CFU-e) were remarkably depressed in patient with acute leukaemia in active phase. However, both BFU-e and CFU-e recovered to within normal range when the patients achieved remission. Peripheral blood BFU-e of children with acute lymphocytic leukaemia in remission were also examined and found to have values not significantly different from those of control subjects. There was no distinct correlation between the numbers of erythroid bursts or colonies and the duration of remission in patients with acute leukaemia in remission. The reduction of BFU-e and CFU-e in active acute leukaemia suggests the involvement of erythropoietic progenitors in the pathophysiology of this type of leukaemia.

The cardiac glycoside ouabain has been shown to stimulate erythroid stem cell (CFU-e/BFU-e) colony formation while inhibiting both granulocyte/macrophage precursor cell (CFU-gm) and murine spleen stem cell (CFU-s) colony formation. We have examined the ability of ouabain to increase both CFU-e/BFU-e colony formation by performing time-delay and temperature-dependent studies. After pre-exposure of marrow cells to ouabain (10(-15) M) at temperatures of 27, 37, or 4 degrees C, erythropoietin (Ep) was added after time-delays ranging from 10 s to 60 min. The ouabain-induced increase in CFU-e/BFU-e colony formation was observed up to an Ep-delay of 20 s, after which time the enhancing effect of ouabain was diminished. This increase was also observed when marrow cells were first exposed to Ep prior to a similar delayed exposure to ouabain. The enhancement effect seen with ouabain was also temperature dependent, since at 37 degrees C an earlier time increase in CFU-e/BFU-e colony formation was observed when compared to identical studies performed at either room temperature or 4 degrees C. These studies suggest that ouabain-induced elevations in erythroid stem cell colony formation involve mechanisms that are both time and temperature dependent.

To test the hypothesis that paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH) is a hematopoietic stem cell disorder, the growth of BFU-e and CFU-gm and the complement sensitivity of cultured cells from BFU-e and CFU-gm colonies, as well as of unipotential progenitor cells (CFU-gm and BFU-e), were examined in five PNH patients. BFU-e growth was reduced in the three patients examined, and poor CFU-gm growth was noted in three of the five patients. Compared to normals, BFU-e and CFU-gm colonies in all patients demonstrated an increased susceptibility to the lytic action of complement when the release of 59Fe and myeloperoxidase was measured as specific markers for monitoring membrane damage. Compared to the growth of normal bone marrow cells, CFU-gm growth was significantly inhibited by pretreatment of bone marrow mononuclear cells with monoclonal OKIal antibody and complement. These findings support the proposition that a membrane defect predisposing blood cells to complement-mediated lysis may occur at the level of unipotential progenitor cells.

Male B6D2F1 mice were exposed by inhalation to 4000 ppm of benzene for 8 h/day for 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 or 14 days and then sacrificed at 18 h following the last exposure. The cellularities of both femur and spleen were depressed for the duration of benzene exposure. BFU-e/femur declined for 3 days, rebounded to control levels by day 5, and were again depressed by day 7. CFU-e/femur were initially depressed, but by day 7, the concentrations of CFU-e were so elevated that the total number had actually rebounded to slightly higher than control values. CFU-gm/femur remained depressed for the duration of the exposure periods. CFU-e, BFU-e and CFU-gm/spleen were depressed following all exposures. The toxic effects of benzene on hematopoiesis that are immediate are not ascribable to migration of stem cells between femur and spleen. The depressive effects of benzene inhalation on erythropoiesis may be compensated by the rapid proliferation of CFU-e.

We examined the optimal conditions for maintaining normal human hematopoietic stem cells without cryopreservation. The effects of serum, HEPES, CPD and storage temperature were studied. Stem cell integrity (CFU-c, CFU-e, and BFU-e) was optimally maintained when the bone marrow cells were suspended in a medium containing 40% fetal calf serum, 25 mM HEPES, and 12.28% CPD and maintained at 4 degrees C. For example, under these storage conditions the recovery of functionally intact early erythroid stem cells, BFU-e, was 84% after 2 days, 44% after 4 days and 12% after 7 days. These results indicate that non-frozen short-term storage of human bone marrow may be of clinical utility in bone marrow transplantation.

Recent developments have focused on long-term bone marrow cultures and serum-free media to establish clonal hematopoiesis in vitro. Prior investigations have suggested an important role for such ingredients as transferrin, albumin, lipid, selenite, and potassium provided by serum. These factors, when present, can support clonal growth even in the absence of serum. Results reported here further define the importance of the cations K+ and Li+ in the regulation of in vitro erythropoiesis in the presence of both normal and dialyzed fetal calf serum and ouabain. While K+ proved essential for optimal erythroid colony formation, the presence of Li+ in such cultures reduced optimal colony formation of erythroid stem cells. This evidence suggests that in long-term marrow cultures or serum-free media K+ is essential for successful maintenance of self-renewal of erythroid stem cells and their differentiation, and that the monitoring of K+ levels may prove useful in such cultures. Since in vitro erythropoiesis was reduced in the presence of Li+, the mechanisms controlling differentiation of hematopoietic stem cell may be interpreted to be subject to cation influence.

Significant in vivo stimulation of granulopoiesis was induced in mice by the administration of an extract from the urine of patients with aplastic anemia (AA). Sialic acid has been identified as an important molecular component for the in vivo biological activity of this granulopoietic factor, "granulopoietin," which is distinct and different from endotoxin. Urine from patients with AA was successively fractionated by Sephadex G-50 and DEAE-cellulose chromatography. The resultant extract, which we refer to as AA urinary extract, contained approximately equal to 44 international units of erythropoietin per A unit of protein and induced 15,000 colonies of granulocyte/macrophage precursor cells (granulocyte/macrophage colony-forming units, CFU-gm) per A unit of protein with mouse bone marrow. Eight daily intraperitoneal injections of this extract in mice induced a 6.2-fold increase in peripheral blood granulocytes and a 14.6-fold increase of splenic CFU-gm, with concomitant increases in the proliferation rates of CFU-gm in both bone marrow and spleen. Pretreatment of the AA urinary extract with sialidase significantly diminished these granulopoietic effects in vivo (P less than 0.001). In contrast, both extracts (i.e., native AA and sialidase-treated AA urinary extracts) revealed high granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor activity in vitro when clonal assays were performed with mouse bone marrow. Increased in vivo and in vitro granulopoietic activities were found in the concanavalin A "break-through" fraction, indicating that these activities were due to protein(s) that did not bind to the lectin. These results reveal that this urinary extract from patients with AA is capable of inducing significant granulopoiesis in mice and that sialic acid is an important component in the maintenance of this granulopoietic effect in vivo but not in vitro.

Because benzidine and its derivatives have possible carcinogenic activity, a safe method is needed to demonstrate endogenous peroxidase activity. Colonies derived from mouse bone marrow cells in plasma clot culture were classified as granulocyte (CFU-g) or macrophage (CFU-m) precursors by peroxidase and naphthol AS acetate (NASA) esterase staining, respectively. Endogenous peroxidase activity was measured using benzidine or p-phenylenediazine-pyrocatechol (PPD-PC). The effectiveness of peroxidase staining with both reagents was evaluated under several conditions, and the enzyme property was confirmed by inactivation with a variety of inhibitors. The level of peroxidase activity did not differ significantly between PPD-PC and benzidine. Colony number and number of cultured cells were strongly correlated (P greater than 0.983). We conclude that PPD-PC safely demonstrates peroxidase activity in cultured cells and is as accurate, reliable, and efficient as benzidine.