Effect of Erythropoietin on Proliferation of Erythroid Stem Cells in the Absence of Transplantable Colony-forming Units

Abstract

Abstract A single administration of Myleran eradicated colony-forming stem cells from marrow or spleen of mice for a period of two weeks or longer. Erythropoiesis was restored during that time, and the exclusion of cell influx from the colony-forming progenitors into the intermediary erythroid stem cell compartment permitted a study of the effects of erythropoietin on the kinetics of the latter. The results indicate that erythropoietin, in addition to its role in transforming immediate precursors into proerythroblasts, stimulated the proliferation of erythroid stem cells. The significance of this in regard to stem cell kinetics and rate regulation of erythropoiesis is discussed.