title: Defibrotide in combination with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor significantly enhances the mobilization of primitive and committed peripheral blood progenitor cells in mice.
abstract: Defibrotide is a polydeoxyribonucleotide, which significantly reduces the expression of adhesion molecules on endothelial cells. We investigated the activity of Defibrotide alone or in combination with recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhG-CSF) to mobilize peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPCs) in BALB/c mice. A 5-day treatment with Defibrotide alone (1-15 mg/mouse/day) had no effect on WBC counts, frequencies and absolute numbers of total circulating colony-forming cells (CFCs), i.e., granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units, erythroid burst-forming units, and multilineage colony-forming units. As compared with mock-injected mice, administration of rhG-CSF alone (5 micro g/mouse/day) for 5 days significantly (P < or = 0.0001) increased WBC counts, CFC frequencies, and CFC absolute numbers by 2-, 13-, and 27-fold, respectively. As compared with control mice, the combined administration of Defibrotide (15 mg/mouse/day) and rhG-CSF significantly (P < or = 0.0001) increased WBC counts, frequencies and absolute numbers of CFCs by 4-, 38-, and 119-fold, respectively. As compared with rhG-CSF alone, administration of Defibrotide plus rhG-CSF resulted in a significant increase (P < or = 0.001) of the frequency of circulating long-term culture-initiating cells. In addition, transplantation of 2 x 10(5) rhG-CSF- or Defibrotide/rhG-CSF-mobilized mononuclear cells rescued 43% and 71% of recipient mice, respectively. Experiments of CFC homing performed in lethally irradiated or nonirradiated recipients showed that marrow homing of transplanted PBPCs was reduced by 3-fold in Defibrotide-treated animals as compared with mock-injected mice (P < or = 0.001), suggesting that the mobilizing effect of Defibrotide might be because of an effect on PBPC trafficking. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that Defibrotide synergizes with rhG-CSF and significantly increases the mobilization of a broad spectrum of PBPCs, including primitive and committed progenitor cells. These data might have relevant implications for autologous and allogeneic anticancer therapy in humans.
authors.affiliation: Cristina Gandini Bone Marrow Transplantation Unit, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, University of Milano, Italy 20133. carmelo.carlostella@unimi.it
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carlo-Stella
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Nicola
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Magni
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Longoni
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Milanesi
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stucchi
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cleris
authors.forename: Franca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Formelli
authors.forename: Massimo A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gianni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019650:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Mobilization / Q000379:methods*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011089:Polydeoxyribonucleotides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins
chemical_list: D005343:Fibrinolytic Agents; D011089:Polydeoxyribonucleotides; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; C036901:defibrotide