Fukushima J. Med. Sci.,
Vol. 54, No. 1, 2008

[Original Article]

TRAFFIC OF INFUSED BONE MARROW CELLS AFTER
GENETICALLY-LABELED SYNGENEIC BONE MARROW
TRANSPLANTATION FOLLOWING LETHAL IRRADIATION IN MICE

ATAI SATOH, TAKURO SAITO, YOSHIHIRO SATO, TAKAO TSUCHIYA,
AKIRA KENJO, TAKASHI KIMURA, RYUZO KANNO, HIROYUKI SUZUKI,
MICHIO KOGURE, YUTAKA HOSHINO and MITSUKAZU GOTOH

Department of Surgery I, Fukushima Medical University, School of Medicine, Fukushima, 960-1295, Japan

(Received November 14, 2007, accepted February 8, 2008)

Abstract: Bone marrow (BM) cells are considered the source of stem cells for various organs. However, how quickly BM cells can penetrate and constitute lymphoid organs remains elusive. In the present study, we addressed this issue in a model using genetically-labeled syngeneic BM transplantation (BMT).
Methods: Donor BM cells were obtained from “green mice”, transgenic mice with enhanced GFP. Lethally irradiated C57BL/6 mice were infused with 1×10⁶ BM cells from the green mice through the tail vein. BM chimerism was analyzed by FACS and the presence of donor BM cells in thoracoabdominal organs was assessed by fluorescence microscopy. The commitment of BM cells was examined by immunohistochemical staining using epithelium-, macrophage-, B and T-lymphocyte, and endothelium-specific antibodies.
Results: BM chimerism reached 40±18.5%, 82.6±23.4%, and 72±18% (mean±SD) at 1, 4, and 12 wks after BMT, respectively. GFP-positive cells were detected in all organs in the course of chimeric formation. Most GFP-positive cells were T and B lymphocytes in lymphoid systems including spleen, thymus, mesenteric lymph nodes and microvilli, and some were positive for macrophage and endothelial cell markers.
Conclusions: Our results indicate that BM-derived cells migrate rapidly into various thoracoabdominal organs after BMT, and that lymphoid tissues are predominantly replaced with infused BM in lethally-irradiated mice. This confirmed the previous finding by others and suggests high interest of this model for further studies to characterize kinetics and roles of infused cells.

Key words: Bone marrow transplantation, chimerism, green mouse, green fluorescent protein, lymphoid organ

佐藤　直，斎藤拓朗，佐藤佳宏，土屋貴男，見城　明，木村　隆，管野隆三，鈴木弘行，木暮道彦，星野　豊，後藤満一

Corresponding author: Mitsukazu Gotoh, M.D., Ph.D
E-mail: mgotoh@fmu.ac.jp
Abbreviations : BMT (bone marrow transplantation), BM (bone marrow), GFP (green fluorescent protein)
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