title: Intensified proliferative activity of the CFU-S in vertebral bone marrow of 239Pu-treated mice as one of the factors involved in the induction of granulocytic leukemia.
abstract: Using the exocolonizing test, 59Fe-utilization technique and classical cytology, the authors observed 210 days after i.v. injection of 166.7 kBq of 239Pu/kg in about 30% of contaminated mice a proliferative activity in vertebral bone marrow, characterized with high relative numbers of pluripotent hemopoietic stem cells, significantly higher than in the seriously damaged vertebral bone marrow of the other 239Pu-treated mice and even higher than in the untreated corresponding controls. Simultaneously, the amount of cells in the granulocytic series was increased. After the transplantation to the heavily irradiated syngeneic hosts the stem cells differentiated into splenic colonies with higher iron utilization than in corresponding controls. Higher numbers of mature granulocytes were also found in the peripheral blood and spleen. The authors assume that this activity was an inadequate reparative response of the hemopoietic stem cell compartment to the damaging effect and they consider it to be the critical phase which not only preceded the induction of granulocytic leukemia but also afforded conditions favorable for leukemic transformation of the hemopoietic stem cells.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000473:pathology* / Q000528:radiation effects; D007951:Leukemia, Myeloid / Q000209:etiology*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011005:Plutonium / Q000633:toxicity*
chemical_list: D011005:Plutonium