Open AccessINFLUENCE OF AGE AND ANTIGENIC STIMULATION ON GRANULOCYTE AND MACROPHAGE PROGENITOR CELLS IN THE MOUSE SPLEEN
Author(s) -
Metcalf D.,
Stevens S.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
cell proliferation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.647
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1365-2184
pISSN - 0960-7722
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2184.1972.tb00381.x
Subject(s) - spleen , in vitro , progenitor cell , macrophage , biology , bone marrow , microbiology and biotechnology , antigen , immunology , stimulation , thymidine , andrology , stem cell , endocrinology , biochemistry , medicine
The frequency and proliferative activity of granulocytic and macrophage progenitor cells were determined in the spleens of C 57 BL, BALD/c, NZB and CBA mice. These cells were detected by their capacity to form granulocytic and/or macrophage colonies ( in vitro colony‐forming cells, CFC) in agar culture. In vitro CFCs were low in frequency in the adult spleen (4–28/10 5 cells) compared with the bone marrow (180–280/10 5 cells). However, the neonatal spleen, both in germfree and conventional mice, contained high levels of in vitro CFCs. From the low suiciding index with tritiated thymidine and the small numbers of cluster‐forming cells in relation to colony numbers, many in vitro CFCs in the adult C 57 BL spleen appear to be in a non‐cycling state. The level and activity of in vitro CFCs were extremely low in the spleen of adult germfree CBA mice but were greatly increased in conventional mice following the injection of a bacterial antigen.