The induction of apoptosis during cytokine-induced proliferation of hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPC) may result in the loss of hematopoietic function. We tested the ability of several caspase inhibitors to maintain transplantation potential of mouse HSPC during in vitro culture. HSPC were isolated from mouse bone marrow by cell sorting and cultured in the presence of steel factor (STL) with or without various caspase inhibitors. After incubation, cells were harvested and tested for in vitro colony-forming cell (CFC) potential and transplantation activity in both short- and long-term in vivo assays. HSPC required STL to retain CFC activity during a 24-h culture at 37 degrees C, and none of three caspase inhibitors could substitute for STL in this respect. In transplant assays, a twofold higher frequency of animals showed donor-derived blood cells 12 weeks after competitive transplantation of 50 HSPC cultured for 4 h in the presence of STL plus n-acetyl-Tyr-Val-Ala-Asp-chloromethyl ketone (ac-YVAD) compared with 50 cells cultured in STL alone. To evaluate the effect of ac-YVAD on short-term engraftment, 500 cultured HSPC were transplanted into lethally irradiated mice. Animals transplanted with cells cultured in the presence of ac-YVAD showed a higher survival rate and a faster recovery of platelets and hematocrit compared with animals transplanted with cells cultured in STL alone. We conclude that both the short-term and the long-term engraftment potentials of HSPC cultured in the presence of STL + ac-YVAD were superior to that obtained from cells cultured in STL alone.