title: Effects of ubenimex on erythroid progenitors (CFU-E and BFU-E) in human bone marrow.
abstract: Ubenimex (UBX, bestatin) is known to be an immunomodulator and host-mediated antineoplastic agent. Effects of UBX on human bone marrow erythroid progenitors (erythroid colony-forming units, CFU-E; and erythroid burst-forming units, BFU-E) were investigated in vitro. UBX enhanced CFU-E and BFU-E growth in the nonseparated bone marrow mononuclear cell fraction at concentrations from 0.005 to 5 micrograms/ml. The enhancements of CFU-E and BFU-E were independent of the concentration of erythropoietin added to culture system. In the T-cell-depleted bone marrow fraction, UBX also increased CFU-E and BFU-E growth, but it failed to stimulate these cells in the nonphagocytic and nonadherent bone marrow fraction. These findings indicate that UBX may stimulate erythroid progenitors mediated through monocytes and macrophages.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Internal Medicine, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Higashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishijima
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Homori
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chikazawa
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
mesh_terms: D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D003470:Culture Media / Q000494:pharmacology; D015672:Erythroid Precursor Cells / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007930:Leucine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D007930:Leucine; C012211:ubenimex