Culture of normal and leukemic cells in diffusion chambers

Normal murine, caprine, and human bone marrow and peripheral blood cells can be grown in diffusion chambers. The irradiated host provides a stimulus to erythrocytic and granulocytic growth over what is seen in the DC's implanted in the nonirradiated host. The stimulus is most likely humoral and affects erythropoiesis, granulopoiesis, and megakaryocytopoiesis. It is suggested but not proved that the stimulus for erythropoiesis is an increased level of plasma erythropoietin. It is tempting to suggest that CSF and thrombopoietin are responsible for the stimulation of the other cell lines. Growth of normal human cells in irradiated mice shows a marked reduction of the transit time from the myelocyte to the segmented neutrophils. Growth does not follow steady conditions in terms of rates and transit times. Since all cells produced are retained in the DC's after the time they would normally be extruded into the blood, a nonsteady state system exists. Senescent death of non-proliferating cells occurs. Human leukemic and multiple myeloma cells grow in DC's as do blood cells from patients with myelofibrosis and myeloid metaplasia. Data are insufficient to characterize aberrations in growth. Pilot studies show that human eosinophils will grow, proliferate and mature. (auth