Abstract
Summary
The exogenous spleen colony assay procedure has been used in RF mice to: (i) measure growth and senescence of the bone marrow stem cell compartment, (ii) compare the radiation sensitivity and recovery capacity of marrow stem cell compartments in fetal vs young adult mice, and (iii) determine residual radiation injury to tissues giving rise to hemopoietic progenitor cells in mice irradiated during fetal development or as young adults. The bone marrow of normal RF mice reached maximum hemopoiesis potential (20.9 CFU/105 nucleated marrow cells) within the first 3 weeks of postnatal life. This value was maintained through the first half of the mouse life. Thereafter, a progressive decline of marrow CFU potential was associated with increasing age of the animals. The stem cell pool in fetal mice appears to be less radiation sensitive and more capable of early recovery from radiation injury than that of 10- to 21-week-old young adults. Senescence of bone marrow stem cell function was accentuated in mice exposed to radiation either during fetal development or as young adults.
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