title: Stimulation of human early and late erythropoietic progenitor cells by insulin: evidence for different mechanisms.
abstract: In order to investigate cellular mechanisms involved in insulin stimulation of erythropoiesis, we have studied the response of early (BFU-e) and late (CFU-e) erythroid progenitor cells in a serum-free agar culture system. In this assay system, CFU-e proliferation occurred in media containing low-density lipoproteins, bovine serum albumin, transferrin and recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO). Insulin in physiological concentrations as low as 10(-12)M, added directly to cultures, augmented CFU-e colony formation. This stimulatory effect was also seen when monocyte- and T lymphocyte-depleted cells from normal donors were cultured. In contrast, BFU-e was not stimulated by media devoid of insulin. Occurrence of BFU-e colonies required the presence of insulin in concentrations higher than 10(-8)M. This insulin effect was not dependent on the presence of monocytes and T lymphocytes. Delayed addition studies of rEPO to insulin containing cultures revealed a slight but significant survival rate of CFU-e. A similar survival rate was found for BFU-e. From this, we conclude that insulin stimulates CFU-e by an EPO-like activity. For BFU-e, however, the decline in the number of bursts caused by EPO deprivation implies that insulin does not act directly as a burst-promoting activity but that it probably induces the release of this activity from non-adherent and T lymphocyte-depleted bone marrow cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Konwalinka
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Wiedermann
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petzer
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Grunewald
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Breier
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Patsch
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Geissler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003114:Colony-Forming Units Assay; D004920:Erythropoiesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D009000:Monocytes / Q000502:physiology; D011972:Receptor, Insulin / Q000502:physiology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D004921:Erythropoietin; D011972:Receptor, Insulin