title: Role of stromal cells and their products in protecting young and aged B-lineage precursors from dexamethasone-induced apoptosis.
abstract: Bone marrow stromal cells are potent providers of stimuli that induce proliferation of B-cell precursors. We proposed that stromal cells play a role in protecting B-lineage cells from corticosteroid-induced apoptosis. We found that stromal cells protected B-cell precursors from dexamethasone-induced apoptosis, but this did not strictly correlate with interleukin-7 (IL-7) production. To determine if stromal-derived factors were involved in protection of B-cell precursors from apoptosis, we examined the activity of three lymphopoietic growth factors: IL-7, stem cell factor (SCF), and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Either IL-7 or IGF-1 alone protected B-cell precursors from dexamethasone-induced apoptosis. The combined activities of IGF-1 and IL-7 were additive rather than synergistic. SCF did not protect B-cell precursors from apoptosis. Aging altered the ability of B-cell precursors to respond to protective stimuli induced by IL-7 and IGF-1. Precursors from aged animals were deficient in ability to modulate expression of apoptosis regulatory genes Bax, Bcl-2, and Bcl-x in comparison to B-cell precursors from young animals. Taken together, these results suggest that stromal cells can protect B-lineage precursors from a corticosteroid-induced apoptotic signal, protection is mediated by stromal-derived cytokines, and aging decreases the ability of B-cell precursors to respond efficiently to protective stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Immunology and Aging Program, Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology and Anatomy, Loyola University Chicago, 2160 S. First Avenue, Maywood, IL 60153, USA.
authors.forename: Jeannette
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pifer
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Stephan
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Lill-Elghanian
authors.forename: Phong T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Le
authors.forename: Pamela L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Witte
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000276:immunology; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000276:immunology; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein
chemical_list: C494827:Bax protein, mouse; C494812:Bcl2l1 protein, mouse; D005938:Glucocorticoids; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D003907:Dexamethasone