title: Administration of interleukin-6 stimulates multilineage hematopoiesis and accelerates recovery from radiation-induced hematopoietic depression.
abstract: Hematopoietic depression and subsequent susceptibility to potentially lethal opportunistic infections are well-documented phenomena following radiotherapy. Methods to therapeutically mitigate radiation-induced myelosuppression could offer great clinical value. In vivo studies in our laboratory have demonstrated that interleukin-6 (IL-6) stimulates pluripotent hematopoietic stem cell (CFU-s), granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cell (GM-CFC), and erythroid progenitor cell (CFU-e) proliferation in normal mice. Based on these results, the ability of IL-6 to stimulate hematopoietic regeneration following radiation-induced hematopoietic injury was also evaluated. C3H/HeN female mice were exposed to 6.5 Gy 60Co radiation and subcutaneously administered either saline or IL-6 (1,000 micrograms/kg) on days 1 through 3 or 1 through 6 postexposure. On days 7, 10, 14, 17, and 22, femoral and splenic CFU-s, GM-CFC, and CFU-e contents and peripheral blood white cell, red cell, and platelet counts were determined. Compared with saline treatment, both 3-day and 6-day IL-6 treatments accelerated hematopoietic recovery; 6-day treatment produced the greater effects. For example, compared with normal control values (N), femoral and splenic CFU-s numbers in IL-6-treated mice 17 days postirradiation were 27% N and 136% N versus 2% N and 10% N in saline-treated mice. At the same time, bone marrow and splenic GM-CFC values were 58% N and 473% N versus 6% N and 196% N in saline-treated mice; bone marrow and splenic CFU-e numbers were 91% N and 250% N versus 31% N and 130% N in saline-treated mice; and peripheral blood white cell, red cell, and platelet values were 210% N, 60% N, and 24% N versus 18% N, 39% N, and 7% N in saline-treated mice. These studies demonstrate that therapeutically administered IL-6 can effectively accelerate multilineage hematopoietic recovery following radiation-induced hematopoietic injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Hematology, Armed Forces Radiobiology Research Institute, Bethesda, MD 20889-5145.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Patchen
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: MacVittie
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: G N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Souza
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006098:Granulocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D006410:Hematopoiesis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D007279:Injections, Subcutaneous; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010477:Perfusion; D011833:Radiation Injuries, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6