The effect of recombinant erythropoietin on murine megakaryocyte colony formation.
We investigated the effect of a recombinant human erythropoietin preparation (recombinant Epo) on murine megakaryocyte (MK) colony formation in serum-free and serum-containing culture systems, in order to study the relationship between Epo and megakaryopoiesis. Pokeweed mitogen spleen-conditioned medium (PWM-SCM), a standard source of MK colony stimulator, dose-dependently stimulated MK colony formation in the two culture systems. The plating efficiency of serum-free cultures was almost equal to that of cultures containing serum. Recombinant Epo also dose dependently stimulated MK colony formation in serum-containing cultures. However, in serum-free cultures recombinant Epo alone did not stimulate the growth of MK colonies; with the addition of fetal calf serum (FCS) to the serum-free cultures, recombinant Epo induced the growth of MK colonies. Furthermore, recombinant Epo enhanced MK colony formation through the stimulation of PWM-SCM or murine interleukin 3 (IL-3) in serum-free cultures. Our data show that Epo can act as a stimulator of megakaryopoiesis in collaboration with a factor in serum, or with an MK colony stimulator such as IL-3.
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000502:physiology; D007700:Kinetics; D008533:Megakaryocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*
D003470:Culture Media; D007377:Interleukin-3; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin