Effects of hypoxia on megakaryocyte size and number of C3H and BALB/c mice.
In an effort to explain the different platelet production capabilities of both normal and hypoxic male and female C3H and BALB/c mice, megakaryocyte size and number were determined utilizing bone marrow from both normal and hypoxic mice. The results indicate that normal BALB/c female mice have increased numbers of megakaryocytes, but of smaller size compared with either BALB/c male mice or to both sexes of C3H mice. An inverse relationship between the size and number of megakaryocytes was found in both normal and hypoxic mice; therefore, to evaluate total megakaryocyte characteristics, we calculated total megakaryocyte masses (TMM). With hypoxia, megakaryocyte number decreased, whereas megakaryocyte size increased. Despite the increase in megakaryocyte size, hypoxia caused a significant decrease in TMM (P less than 0.005) in all mice, but female C3H mice had higher TMM (P less than 0.05) than did female BALB/c mice. These data show that hypoxia decreases TMM in mice, and that the effect is greater in C3H mice than in BALB/c mice.
McDonald
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Department of Animal Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville 37901-1071.
Cottrell
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MB
Clift
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Jackson
C W
CW
D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008533:Megakaryocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D012737:Sex Factors; D013045:Species Specificity