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RL Mei and SA Burstein
Department of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center,
Oklahoma City.
Megakaryocytic maturation was analyzed in long-term bone marrow cultures in
the absence of added growth factors. Megakaryocytes could be observed for
periods of up to 13 weeks in both the supernatant and stromal layer of
these cultures. Using acetylcholinesterase staining for enumeration and
sizing of megakaryocytes, and a novel rat antimurine platelet monoclonal
antibody (MoAb) that detects only megakaryocytes in bone marrow, the
number, volume, and ploidy of these cells were assessed microscopically and
by flow cytometry. Correlation of these measurements with ambient
interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels showed no relationship between IL-6 bioactivity
and megakaryocyte number. Conversely, the relatively high IL-6 bioactivity
present during the first 2 weeks of culture was correlated with increased
megakaryocytic size and ploidy, while the relatively lower IL-6 bioactivity
present after week 3 corresponded to decreased megakaryocytic size and
ploidy. Addition of neutralizing anti-IL-6 MoAb decreased megakaryocytic
size and ploidy at times when ambient IL-6 levels were relatively high,
while the addition of exogenous IL-6 increased size and ploidy at times
when endogenous IL-6 concentrations were low. The data show that long- term
bone marrow cultures can be used as a means to evaluate megakaryocytic
maturation in vitro, and suggest that, to some extent, IL-6 plays a role in
the maturation process in this system.
This article has been cited by other articles:
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| Copyright © 1991 by American Society of Hematology Online ISSN: 1528-0020 | |||||||||
