Interleukin-3 promotes proliferation and differentiation of human hematopoietic stem cells but reduces their repopulation potential in NOD/SCID mice

Stem Cells. 2003;21(2):236-44. doi: 10.1634/stemcells.21-2-236.

Abstract

In the present study we explored systematically the influence of human interleukin-3 (IL-3) on the cord blood (CB) cell-derived production of human hematopoietic cells in the bone marrow, blood, and spleen of chimeric nonobese/severe combined immunodeficient mice ((NOD/SCID) mice. CB mononuclear cells and MACS-enriched CB CD34(+) cells were injected into irradiated NOD/SCID mice. The mice were additionally transplanted with a stably transfected rat fibroblast cell line expressing the human IL-3 gene (Rat-IL-3) constitutively, or with the nontransfected rat fibroblast cell line as a control (Rat-1). Rat-IL-3 mice displayed a higher engraftment of human hematopoietic cells in bone marrow, spleen, and peripheral blood compared with mice with Rat-1 cotransplantation. When we transplanted their total bone marrow cell population into secondary mice, surprisingly, mice transplanted with bone marrow cells from Rat-1 mice displayed a higher proportion of human hematopoietic cells compared with Rat-IL-3 mice. As expected, bone marrow cultures (BMCs) from Rat-IL-3 mice contained a higher proportion of human cells than Rat-1 bone marrow cells. However, when BMCs were passaged to new flasks, we observed a higher proportion of human cells in BMCs from Rat-1 mice compared with BMCs from Rat-IL-3 mice. IL-3 promotes the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells in chimeric bone marrow. In addition, IL-3 may play a role in the depletion of hematopoietic stem cells in chimeric bone marrow. In the absence of IL-3, the hematopoietic stem cells may remain in a quiescent state and proliferation can be induced by stimuli, including secondary transplantation or cell passage.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antigens, CD34 / analysis
  • Bone Marrow Transplantation*
  • Cell Differentiation / drug effects
  • Cell Division / drug effects
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Cord Blood Stem Cell Transplantation*
  • Female
  • Fetal Blood / cytology
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells / chemistry
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Interleukin-3 / pharmacology*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred NOD
  • Mice, SCID
  • Transplantation Chimera

Substances

  • Antigens, CD34
  • Interleukin-3