Enhanced stimulation of human bone marrow macrophage colony formation in
vitro by recombinant human macrophage colony-stimulating factor in agarose
medium and at low oxygen tension
HE Broxmeyer, S Cooper, L Lu, ME Miller, CD Langefeld and P Ralph
Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine,
Indianapolis, IN 46202-5121.
Recombinant (r) and natural human (h) macrophage colony-stimulating factor
(M-CSF, CSF-1) have been considered poor stimulators of macrophage
progenitor cells present in human marrow, although they are potent
stimulators of these cells in mouse marrow. We compared the growth
characteristics of rhM-CSF-responsive human macrophage progenitor cells
placed in semisolid agarose or agar culture medium and incubated for 14
days at ambient (approximately 20%) or lowered (5%) O2 tension. By itself,
rhM-CSF was found to be a good stimulator of macrophage colony formation by
human bone marrow cells cultured in agarose but not in agar; this growth
was enhanced by incubation at 5% O2. Maximal numbers (up to 115/10(5)
nonadherent low density cells plated) of macrophage colonies (50 to greater
than 500 cells per colony) were stimulated by 500 to 1,000 units
rhM-CSF/mL, with 1/2 maximal numbers stimulated by 250 to 500 units/mL.
With agarose as the support medium, rhM-CSF was two- to fourfold more
active on mouse than on human macrophage colony formation, in contrast to
previous reports of 10- to 100-fold greater activity when agar was used as
the support medium. Using nonadherent low density T lymphocyte-depleted
human bone marrow cells growing in agarose at 5% O2, greater than additive
effects on colony formation were observed when 31 to 500 units rhM-CSF were
used in combination with either 10 ng rh interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha),
20, or 200 units rh granulocyte-macrophage (GM)-CSF or rhG-CSF. The agarose
assay system should be useful for evaluating factors regulating the
proliferation of human macrophage progenitor cells in vitro and during
clinical trials with rhM-CSF.
Volume 76,
Issue 2,
pp. 323-329,
07/15/1990
Copyright © 1990 by The American Society of Hematology