3D collagen matrices modulate the transcriptional trajectory of bone marrow hematopoietic progenitors into macrophage lineage commitment

Physical signals provided by the extracellular matrix(ECM)are key microenvironmental parameters for the fate decision of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells(HSPC)in bone marrow.Insights into cell-ECM interactions are critical for advancing HSC-based tissue engineering.Herein,we employed collagen hydrogels and collagen-alginate hydrogels of defined stiffness to study the behaviors of hematopoietic progenitor cells(HPCs).Three-dimensional(3D)collagen hydrogels with a stiffness of 45 Pa were found to promote HPC maintenance and colony formation of monocyte/macrophage progenitors.Using single-cell RNA sequencing(scRNA-seq),we also characterized the comprehensive transcriptional profiles of cells randomly selected from two-dimensional(2D)and 3D hydrogels.A distinct maturation trajectory from HPCs into macrophages within the 3D microenvironment was revealed by these results.3D-derived macrophages expressed high levels of various cytokines and chemokines,such as Saa3,Cxcl2,Socs3 and Tnf.Furthermore,enhanced communication between 3D-macrophages and other hematopoietic clusters based on ligand-repair interactions was demonstrated through bioinformatic analyses.Our research underlines the regulatory role of matrix-dimensionality in HPC differentiation and therefore probably be applied to the generation of specialized macrophages.

EFFECTS OF INTERLEUKIN-4 ON GRANULOCYTE-MACROPHAGE-COLONY FORMATION FROM MURINE BONE MARROW CELLS AND HEMATOPOIETIC RECONSTITUTION FOLLOWING MURINE ALLOGENEIC BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION

We investigated the effects of mouse recombinant IL-4 on hematopoiesis in vitro and in vivo. IL-4 alone was found to be incapable of stimulating colony formation, but it inhibited both IL-3-and GM-CSF-induced colony formation by murine hematopoietic progenitor cells. In contrast, colony formation induced by G-CSF was enhanced in the presence of IL-4. We also studied the influence of IL-4 on hematopoietic reconstiution after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation in a murine medel, and found that IL-4 had significant inhibitory effects on neutrophil recovery and that neutrophil recovery accelerated by IL-3 and G-CSF was significantly suppressed by IL-4. The combination of IL-4 and GM-SF caused a significant decrease in the absolute number of neutrophils.

Establishment of a humanized mouse model using steady-state peripheral blood-derived hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells facilitates screening of cancer-targeted T-cell repertoires

Background:Cancer-targeted T-cell receptor T(TCR-T)cells hold promise in treating cancers such as hematological malignancies and breast cancers.However,approaches to obtain cancer-reactive TCR-T cells have been unsuccessful.Methods:Here,we developed a novel strategy to screen for cancer-targeted TCR-T cells using a special humanized mouse model with person-specific immune fingerprints.Rare steady-state circulating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells were expanded via three-dimensional culture of steady-state peripheral blood mononuclear cells,and then the expanded cells were applied to establish humanized mice.The human immune system was evaluated according to the kinetics of dendritic cells,monocytes,T-cell subsets,and cytokines.To fully stimulate the immune response and to obtain B-cell precursor NAML-6-and triple-negative breast cancer MDA-MB-231-targeted TCR-T cells,we used the inactivated cells above to treat humanized mice twice a day every 7 days.Then,human T cells were processed for TCRβ-chain(TRB)sequencing analysis.After the repertoires had been constructed,features such as the fraction,diversity,and immune signature were investigated.Results:The results demonstrated an increase in diversity and clonality of T cells after treatment.The preferential usage and features of TRBV,TRBJ,and the V–J combination were also changed.The stress also induced highly clonal Science and Technology,Grant/Award Number:2021C03010;Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China,Grant/Award Numbers:LTGY24H080003,LY21H080004 expansion.Tumor burden and survival analysis demonstrated that stress induction could significantly inhibit the growth of subsequently transfused live tumor cells and prolong the survival of the humanized mice.Conclusions:We constructed a personalized humanized mouse model to screen cancer-targeted TCR-T pools.Our platform provides an effective source of cancer-targeted TCR-T cells and allows for the design of patient-specific engineered T cells.It therefore has the potential to greatly benefit cancer treatment.

Divergent expression of Neurl3 from hemogenic endothelial cells to hematopoietic stem progenitor cells during development

Prior to the generation of hematopoietic stem cells(HSCs)from the hemogenic endothelial cells(HECs)mainly in the dorsal aorta in midgestational mouse embryos,multiple hematopoietic progenitors including erythro-myeloid progenitors and lymphoid progenitors are generated from yolk sac HECs.These HSCindependent hematopoietic progenitors have recently been identified as major contributors to functional blood cell production until birth.However,little is known about yolk sac HECs.Here,combining integrative analyses of multiple single-cell RNA-sequencing datasets and functional assays,we reveal that Neurl3-EGFP,in addition to marking the continuum throughout the ontogeny of HSCs from HECs,can also serve as a single enrichment marker for yolk sac HECs.Moreover,while yolk sac HECs have much weaker arterial characteristics than either arterial endothelial cells in the yolk sac or HECs within the embryo proper,the lymphoid potential of yolk sac HECs is largely confined to the arterial-biased subpopulation featured by the Unc5b expression.Interestingly,the B lymphoid potential of hematopoietic progenitors,but not for myeloid potentials,is exclusively detected in Neurl3-negative subpopulations in midgestational embryos.Taken together,these findings enhance our understanding of blood birth from yolk sac HECs and provide theoretical basis and candidate reporters for monitoring step-wise hematopoietic differentiation.

Bone marrow mononuclear cells for joint therapy: The role of macrophages in inflammation resolution and tissue repair

Osteoarthritis(OA)is the most prevalent joint disease causing major disability and medical expenditures.Synovitis is a central feature of OA and is primarily driven by macrophages.Synovial macrophages not only drive inflammation but also its resolution,through a coordinated,simultaneous expression of pro-and anti-inflammatory mechanisms that are essential to counteract damage and recover homeostasis.Current OA therapies are largely based on anti-inflammatory principles and therefore block pro-inflammatory mechanisms such as prostaglandin E2 and Nuclear factor-kappa B signaling pathways.However,such mechanisms are also innately required for mounting a pro-resolving response,and their blockage often results in chronic low-grade inflammation.Following minor injury,macrophages shield the damaged area and drive tissue repair.If the damage is more extensive,macrophages incite inflammation recruiting more macrophages from the bone marrow to maximize tissue repair and ultimately resolve inflammation.However,sustained damage and inflammation often overwhelms pro-resolving mechanisms of synovial macrophages leading to the chronic inflammation and related tissue degeneration observed in OA.Recently,experimental and clinical studies have shown that joint injection with autologous bone marrow mononuclear cells replenishes inflamed joints with macrophage and hematopoietic progenitors,enhancing mechanisms of inflammation resolution,providing remarkable and long-lasting effects.Besides creating an ideal environment for resolution with high concentrations of interleukin-10 and anabolic growth factors,macrophage progenitors also have a direct role in tissue repair.Macrophages constitute a large part of the early granulation tissue,and further transdifferentiate from myeloid into a mesenchymal phenotype.These cells,characterized as fibrocytes,are essential for repairing osteochondral defects.Ongoing“omics”studies focused on identifying key drivers of macrophagemediated resolution of joint inflammation and those required for efficient osteochondral repair,have the potential to uncover ways for developing engineered macrophages or off-the-shelf pro-resolving therapies that can benefit patients suffering from many types of arthropaties,not only OA.

Changes in the number of circulating CD34＋ cells after eccentric exercise of the elbow flexors in relation to muscle damage

Background： It has been reported that strenuous exercise increases the number of bone marrow-derived progenitor cells such as CD34＋ cells in the blood, but no previous studies have investigated the changes in circulating CD34＋ cells following resistance exercise. This study tested the hypothesis that the number of CD34＋ cells in the blood would increase after eccentric exercise of the elbow flexors, but decrease in recovery, and the magnitude of the changes would be dependent on the magnitude of muscle damage. Methods： Nine men （28.0 ± 6.6 years） performed exercises consisting of 10 sets of six maximal voluntary eccentric contractions of the elbow flexors with their non-dominant arm. Six of them performed the same exercise with the same ann 4 weeks later. Changes in indirect markers of muscle damage were measured before, within 10 min after, and at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after eccentric exercise. Differential leukocyte counts （total leukocytes, neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes） and CD34＋ cells in the blood were measured before, immediately after, and at 2, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h following the exercises. Results： After eccentric exercise, significant （p 〈 0.05） decreases in maximal voluntary isometric contraction torque and increases in delayed onset muscle soreness and plasma creatine kinase activity were observed. However, no significant changes in leukocytes and CD34＋ cells were evident. The changes in muscle damage markers were significantly （p 〈 0.05） smaller following the second exercise session as compared with the first exercise session, but the changes in leukocytes and CD34＋ cells were not significantly different between sessions. Conclusion： These results did not support the hypothesis, and showed that eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage to the elbow flexors did not influence the number of circulating CD34＋ cells.

Apoptotic bone marrow CD34+ cells in cirrhotic patients

AIM: To access the frequency and level of apoptotic CD34+ cells isolated from the marrow fluid of patients with post-hepatitis cirrhosis. METHODS: The frequency of bone marrow CD34+ cells and apoptotic bone marrow CD34+ cells in 31 inpatients with post-hepatitis cirrhosis (cirrhosis group), and 15 out-patients without liver or blood disorders (control group) was calculated by flow cytometry. Parameters were collected to evaluate liver functions of patients in cirrhosis group. RESULTS: The percentage of normal bone marrow CD34+ cells was 6.30% ± 2.48% and 1.87% ± 0.53% (t = 3.906, P < 0.01) while that of apoptotic marrowCD34+ cells was 15.00% ± 15.81% and 5.73% ± 1.57% (t = 2.367, P < 0.05) in cirrhosis and control groups, respectively. The percentage of apoptotic marrow CD34+ cells was 6.25% ± 3.30% and 20.92 ± 18.5% (t = 2.409, P < 0.05) in Child-Pugh A and Child-Pugh B + C cirrhotic patients, respectively. The percentage of late apoptotic marrow CD34+ cells was positively correlated with the total bilirubin and aspartate aminotransferase serum levels in patients with cirrhosis. CONCLUSION: The status of CD34+ marrow cells in cirrhotic patients may suggest that the ability of hematopoietic progenitor cells to transform into mature blood cells is impaired.

Liposome-mediated Functional Expression of Multiple Drug Resistance Gene in Human Bone Marrow CD34^+ Cells

Summary: The expression and functional activity of multiple drug resistance (MDR1) gene in human normal bone marrow CD34+ cells was observed. Human normal bone marrow CD34+ cells were enriched with magnetic cell sorting (MACS) system, and then liposome-mediated MDR1 gene was transferred into bone marrow CD34+ cells. Fluorescence-activated cell sorter was used to evaluate the expression and functional activity of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) encoded by MDR1 gene. It was found that the purity of bone marrow CD34+ cells was approximately (91±4.56) % and recovery rate was (72.3±2.36) % by MACS. The expression of P-gp in the transfected CD34+cells was obviously higher than that in non-transfected CD34+ cells. The amount of P-gp in non-transfected CD34+ cells was (11.2±2.2) %, but increased to (23.6±2.34) % 48 h after gene transfection (P<0.0l). The amount of P-gp was gradually decreased to the basic level one week later. The accumulation and extrusion assays showed that the overexpression of P-gp could efflux Rh-123 out of cells and there was low fluorescence within the transfected cells. The functional activity of P-gp could be inhibited by 10 μg/ml verapamil. It was suggested that the transient and highly effective expression and functional activity of P-gp could be obtained by liposome-mediated MRD1 transferring into human normal bone marrow CD34+ cells.

Effect of Angiotensin Ⅱ on Cord Blood CD^(34+) Cells Expansion in vitro

In order to investigate the influence of angiotensin Ⅱ on hematopoietic system, CD34 + cells in cord blood were purified, and the effects of angiotensin Ⅱ in combination with various cytokines on their growth and differentiation were studied by cell culture in vitro. It was found that angiotensin Ⅱ in suspending medium could stimulate both BFU-E and CFU-GM expansion. The number of BFU-E and CFU-GM was increased with the increases of angiotensin Ⅱ concentrations during a certain range. In addition, the expansion fold of CFU-GM was increased from 2.3±0.8 times to 7.8±2.3 times when angiotensin Ⅱ was added in the presence of SCF+G-CSF+GM-CSF+IL-3 cytokines mixture. Similarly, the expansion fold of BFU-E was increased from 3.1±1.8 times to 9 2±2.3 times with angiotensin Ⅱ in the presence of SCF+EPO+TPO+IL-3. In the semi-solid medium, angiotensin Ⅱ could stimulate CFU-GM expansion but had no effect on the growth of BFU-E. In conclusion, angiotensin Ⅱ had some stimulating effects on cord blood hematopoietic progenitors expansion in vitro in the presence of other cytokines.

Exendin-4 attenuates atherosclerosis progression via controlling hematopoietic stem/progenitor cell proliferation

Beyond glycemic control, applications of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1r) agonists (GLP-1 RAs) inhibit inflammationand plaque development in murine atherosclerotic models. However, whether they modulate hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells(HSPCs)to prohibit skewed myelopoiesis in hypercholesteremia remains unknown. In this study, GLP-1r expression in fluorescenceactivated cell sorting (FACS)-sorted wild-type HSPCs was determined by capillary western blotting. Bone marrow cells (BMCs)of wild-type or GLP-1r−/− mice were transplanted into lethally irradiated low-density lipoprotein receptor deficient (LDLr−/−)recipients followed by high-fat diet (HFD) for chimerism analysis by FACS. In parallel, LDLr−/− mice were placed on HFD for 6weeks and then treated with saline or Exendin-4 (Ex-4) for another 6 weeks. HSPC frequency and cell cycle were analyzed byFACS, and intracellular metabolite levels were assessed by targeted metabolomics. The results demonstrated that HSPCs expressedGLP-1r and transplantation of GLP-1r−/− BMCs resulted in skewed myelopoiesis in hypercholesterolemic LDLr−/− recipients.In vitro, Ex-4 treatment of FACS-purified HSPCs suppressed cell expansion and granulocyte production induced by LDL. In vivo, Ex-4treatment inhibited plaque progression, suppressed HSPC proliferation, and modified glycolytic and lipid metabolism in HSPCs ofhypercholesteremic LDLr−/− mice. In conclusion, Ex-4 could directly inhibit HSPC proliferation induced by hypercholesteremia.

The evolving views of hematopoiesis:from embryo to adulthood and from in vivo to in vitro

The hematopoietic system composed of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells(HSPCs)and their differentiated lineages serves as an ideal model to uncover generic principles of cell fate transitions.From gastrulation onwards,there successively emerge primitive hematopoiesis(that produces specialized he-matopoietic cells),pro-definitive hematopoiesis(that produces lineage-restricted progenitor cells),and definitive hematopoiesis(that produces multipotent HSPCs).These nascent lineages develop in several transient hematopoietic sites and finally colonize into lifelong hematopoietic sites.The development and maintenance of hematopoietic lineages are orchestrated by cell-intrinsic gene regulatory networks and cell-extrinsic microenvironmental cues.Owing to the progressive methodology(e.g.,high-throughput lineage tracing and single-cell functional and omics analyses),our understanding of the developmental origin of hematopoietic lineages and functional properties of certain hematopoietic organs has been updated;meanwhile,new paradigms to characterize rare cell types,cell heterogeneity and its causes,and comprehensive regulatory landscapes have been provided.Here,we review the evolving views of HSPC biology during developmental and postnatal hematopoiesis.Moreover,we discuss recent advances in the in vitro induction and expansion of HSPCs,with a focus on the implications for clinical applications.

Stimulating effect of catechin, an active component of Spatholobus suberectus Dunn, on bioactivity of hematopoietic growth factor

Background Hematopoietic growth factor （HGF） is indispensable to hematopoiesis in the body. The proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic cells must rely on the existence and stimulation of HGF. This study investigated the effect of catechin, an active component extracted from Spatholobus suberectus Dunn （SSD）, on bioactivity of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating activity （GM-CSA）, burst-promoting activity （BPA） and megakaryocyte colony-stimulating activity （MK-CSA） in spleen condition medium （SPCM） of mice to clarify the hematopoietic mechanism of catechin and SSD. Methods Spleen cells of mice were separated and spleen condition medium （SPCM） was prepared from spleen cell culture. Bone marrow cells of mice were separated and cultured in a culture system including 10% （v/v） SPCM （induced by catechin in vivo or ex vivo） for 6 days. Granulocyte-macrophage colony forming units （CFU-GM）, erythrocyte burst-colony-forming units （BFU-E） and megakaryocyte colony-forming units （CFU-Meg） formation were employed to assay the effects of different treatment on the bioactivity of GM-CSA, BPA and MK-CSA in SPCM. Results SPCM induced by 100 mg/L catechin ex vivo could promote the growth of CFU-GM, BFU-E and CFU-Meg, which indicated that catechin could stimulate the production of GM-CSA, BPA and MK-CSA in SPCM. SPCM prepared at the fourth day of spleen cell culture showed the best stimulating activity. The bioactivity of GM-CSA, BPA and MK-CSA in the SPCM prepared after intraperitoneally injecting catechin into mice was also increased. The number of CFU-GM, BFU-E and CFU-Meg gradually increased as the dose of catechin increased and the time of administration prolonged. CFU-GM, BFU-E and CFU-Meg of the high-dose catechin group were significantly higher than those of the control group （P〈0.01） and reached the maximum at the seventh day after administration. Conclusions This study suggests that catechin extracted from the active acetic ether part of Spatholobus suberectus Dunn can regulate hematopoiesis by inducing bioactivity of GM-CSA, BPA and MK-CSA in SPCM of mice. This may be one of the mechanisms for the hematopoietic-supportive effect of catechin and Spatholobus suberectus Dunn.

Chemoprotection of transfer of multidrug resistance gene into human hematopoietic progenitor cell

Objective To observe the effect of the transfer of multidrug resistance gene (mdr1) into human hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPC) on the chemoprotection Methods Human CD34 + cells served as a target of mdr1 gene transfer Retroviral vector SF mdr containing human total length mdr1cDNA was introduced into packing cells GP envAM12 by liposome mediated transfection The mdr1 gene was transduced into human CD34 + cells by retroviral supernatants of packing cells The integration and expression of the mdr1 gene and its protein (P170) in transduced cells were determined by PCR, RT PCR, and flow cytometry The drug resistance of chemotherapy in transduced HPC was determined by culturing colonies Results The mdr1 gene was integrated and expressed in transduced CD34 + cells The efficiency of mdr1 gene transfer was 10%-14% Compared with untransduced controls, within a certain range of drug concentration, the number of drug resistant colony in transduced HPC for taxol, doxorubicin,VCR and VP16 were increased by 3 6±2 1 fold, 2 9±0 3 fold, 1 9±0 4 fold, and 3 5±0 5 fold, respectively Conclusion The transfer of the mdr1 gene into human HPC can increase the drug resistance of the transduced cells to corresponding chemotherapeutic drugs that may provide some degree of chemoprotection for HPC

Inducing effects of macrophage stimulating protein on the expansion of early hematopoietic progenitor cells in liquid culture

Background Macrophage stimulating protein （MSP） is produced by human bone marrow endothelial cells. In this study we sought to observe its effects on inducing the expansion of early hematopoietic progenitor cells which were cultured in a liquid culture system in the presence of the combination of stem cell factor （SCF）, interleukin 3 （IL-3）, interleukin 6 （IL-6）, granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor （GM-CSF）, erythropoietin （EPO） （Cys） and MSP or of Cys and bone marrow endothelial cell conditioned medium （EC-CM）. Methods Human bone marrow CD34^＋ cells were separated and cultured in a liquid culture system for 6 days. Granulocyte-macrophage colony forming unit （CFU-GM） and colony forming unit-granulocyte, erythrocyte, macrophage, megakaryocyte （CFU-GEMM） were employed to assay the effects of different treatment on the proliferation of hematopoeitic stem/progenitor cells. The nitroblue tetrazolium （NBT） reductive test and hoechest 33258 staining were employed to reflect the differentiation and apoptosis of the cells respectively. Results MSP inhibited the proliferation of CFU-GM and CFU-GEMM in semi-solid culture and the inhibitory effect on CFU-GEMM was stronger than on CFU-GM. MSP inhibited the differentiation of early hematopoietic progenitor cells induced by hematopoietic stimulators. Bone marrow （BM） CFU-GEMM was 2.3-fold or 1.7-fold increase or significantly decreased in either Cys＋EC-CM, Cys＋MSP or Cys compared with 0 hour control in liquid culture system after 6 days. Conclusion MSP, a hematopoietic inhibitor, inhibits the differentiation of early hematopoietic progenitor cells induced by hematopoietic stimulators and makes the early hematopoietic progenitor cells expand in a liquid culture system.

CAPE promotes the expansion of human umbilical cord blood-derived hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in vitro

Due to the low number of collectable stem cells from single umbilical cord blood(UCB)unit,their initial uses were limited to pediatric therapies.Clinical applications of UCB hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells(HSPCs)would become feasible if there were a culture method that can effectively expand HSPCs while maintaining their self-renewal capacity.In recent years,numerous attempts have been made to expand human UCB HSPCs in vitro.In this study,we report that caffeic acid phenethyl ester(CAPE),a small molecule from honeybee extract,can promote in vitro expansion of HSPCs.Treatment with CAPE increased the percentage of HSPCs in cultured mononuclear cells.Importantly,culture of CD34+HSPCs with CAPE resulted in a significant increase in total colony-forming units and high proliferative potential colony-forming units.Burst-forming unit-erythroid was the mostly affected colony type,which increased more than 3.7-fold in 1μg mL 1CAPE treatment group when compared to the controls.CAPE appears to induce HSPC expansion by upregulating the expression of SCF and HIF1-α.Our data suggest that CAPE may become a potent medium supplement for in vitro HSPC expansion.

Efficient expansion of rare human circulating hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells in steady-state blood using a polypeptide-forming 3D culture

Although widely applied in treating hematopoietic malignancies,transplantation of hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells(HSPCs)is impeded by HSPC shortage.Whether circulating HSPCs(cHSPCs)in steady-state blood could be used as an alternative source remains largely elusive.Here we develop a three-dimensional culture system(3DCS)including arginine,glycine,aspartate,and a series of factors.Fourteen-day culture of peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMNCs)in 3DCS led to 125-and 70-fold increase of the frequency and number of CD34+cells.Further,3DCS-expanded cHSPCs exhibited the similar reconstitution rate com-pared to CD34+HSPCs in bone marrow.Mechanistically,3DCS fabricated an immunomodulatory niche,secreting cytokines as TNF to support cHSPC survival and proliferation.Finally,3DCS could also promote the expansion of cHSPCs in patients who failed in HSPC mobilization.Our 3DCS successfully expands rare cHSPCs,providing an alternative source for the HSPC therapy,particularly for the patients/donors who have failed in HSPC mobilization.

RNA methylation regulates hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell development

Methylation of adenosine base on the nitrogen-6 position （N6-methyladenosine, m^6A） is the most common and abundant modification on mRNA transcripts. This post-transcriptional modification was first described in the 1970s in hepatoma cells （Desrosiers et al., 1974）.

Hematopoietic-supportive effect of (2S, 3R)-ent-catechin on marrow-depressed mice

Hematopoiesis is an active process of cell proliferation, differentiation andrelease. It is the process during which hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) proliferate anddifferentiate to mature blood cells under the effect of hemetopoietic growth factors (HGFs) incertain hematopoietic microenvironment. HSCs are sources of hematopoiesis of a body that canself-renew, differentiate to blood cells of every lineage and maintain the constancy of them. As themajor tissue of hematopoiesis bone marrow is filled with all kinds of blood cells in variousdevelopmental stages. Under the normal conditions, the ordered proliferation and differentiation ofhematopoietic stem cells/hematopoietic progenitor cells ( HSC/HPC) depend on the regulation ofcytokine network. In present, Spatholobus suberectus Dunn (SSD), a traditional Chinese herb medicinethat has been used to invigorate the blood circulation for thousands years, is widely used torebuild blood after chemotherapy and radiotherapy and to treat hematopoietic diseases. Previousreports from our laboratory indicated that (2S,3R)-ent-catechin, epi (2S, 3R )-ent-catechin, gallic( 2S, 3R )-ent-catechin, et al extracted from SSD all could stimulate the proliferation of HPC inmarrow depressed mice, among which (2S, 3R)-ent-catechin obtained from spatholobus genus for thefirst time and whose content was the maxim showed the best effect. In this study, firstly, theeffect of (2S,3R)-ent-catechin on the quality and quantity of HSCs were assayed by detectingCD_(34)^+ expression. Secondly, we investigated the variation of cytokine (GM-CSF and IL-6)sero-level in mice treated with (2S,3R)- ent-catechin by ELISA. And IL-6 mRNA and GM-CSF mRNAexpressions induced by (2S,3R)-ent-catechin were detected simultaneously by RT-PCR technique inorder to clarify its mechanism.

The Effects of Total Saponins of Panax Ginseng on Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells in Healthy Humans and Aplastic Anemia Patients

Ginseng is said to have beneficial effects on anemia. The proliferation effects of totalsaponins of Panax ginseng (TSPG) on hematopoietic progenitor cell in healthy individuals and 29 patientswith aplastic anemia (AA) were observed through bone marrow cultures of burst forming unit-erythroid(BFU-E) , colony forming unit-erythroid (CFU-E) and colony forming unit-granulocyte/macrophage (CFU-GM) in vitrcacompared with methyltestosterone (MT). The results suggest TSPG might prompt the prolif-eration of normal progenitor cellS at a concentration of 20 g/ml. The numbers of BFU-E ,CFU-E and CFU-GM increased by 37. 8±2.9 % , 31. 4±2. 9 % and 33. 3± 4. 0 % respectively over the controls ; further-more TSPG was still useful to BFU-E,CFU-E growth without Epo in vitro, although the colony nurnberswere much lower. Otherwise MT was useless to CFUGM. Of the 29 patients with AA, 14 who respondedto MT showed sensitivity to TSPG in marrow culture (the rising rate of colony formation exceeded 30 % ) ,but immune-mediated AA (patient's peripheral blood mononucleated cell suppressed normalhematopoiesis) and stem cell decreased AA (few of colonies were formed) showed almost no expressionfor TSPG activity because of the immunological suppression system and the absence of progenitors.