Different stimulative effects of human bone marrow and fetal liver stromal
cells on erythropoiesis in long-term culture
I Slaper-Cortenbach, R Ploemacher and B Lowenberg
The factors determining the predominantly erythroid direction of human
fetal liver hematopoiesis are unknown. We compared the capacities of human
fetal liver and bone marrow stromas to sustain fetal and adult
hematopoiesis in long-term cultures. In various marrow-fetal liver
combinations of stroma and recharge, the maintenance of erythroid (BFU- e)
and myeloid (CFU-GM) precursors in the nonadherent phase was determined.
The morphology of the fetal liver nucleated cells during culture was also
examined. This study shows that fetal liver stromas efficiently support
fetal BFU-e for 6 to 7 weeks in vitro. Bone marrow stromas were not able to
maintain fetal BFU-e beyond 4 weeks. Significant numbers of marrow BFU-e
were not sustained in vitro on either source of stroma. On the other hand,
the stroma layers of fetal liver and marrow origin were equally effective
in maintaining fetal CFU- GM and adult CFU-GM in long-term culture. These
findings show that the human embryonic liver stroma is a preferential site
for stimulating fetal erythropoiesis. They do not demonstrate differences
in stroma function to explain the relative paucity of myelopoiesis in the
fetal liver.
Volume 69,
Issue 1,
pp. 135-139,
01/01/1987
Copyright © 1987 by The American Society of Hematology
