Continued Blood Cell Formation in Spherical Bodies in a Long-Term Mouse Spleen Culture

• Published in: Blood 1991-03, Vol.77 (6), p.1211-1217
• Main Authors: Matsuya, Yutaka, Yanai, Nobuaki, Ohtani, Haruo, Naganuma, Hiroshi, Obinata, Masuo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Animals, Newborn - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Cells - cytology; Blood Cells - physiology; Blood Cells - ultrastructure; Cell Communication - physiology; Cell Differentiation - physiology; Cells, Cultured; Endothelium - cytology; Endothelium - physiology; Endothelium - ultrastructure; Fibroblasts - cytology; Fibroblasts - physiology; Fibroblasts - ultrastructure; Granulocytes - cytology; Granulocytes - drug effects; Granulocytes - physiology; Granulocytes - ultrastructure; Hematopoiesis - physiology; Hematopoietic Stem Cells - cytology; Hematopoietic Stem Cells - physiology; Hematopoietic Stem Cells - ultrastructure; Immunological methods for diagnosis and exploration; Immunopathology; Interleukin-3 - pharmacology; Lymphocytes - cytology; Lymphocytes - physiology; Lymphocytes - ultrastructure; Macrophages - cytology; Macrophages - physiology; Macrophages - ultrastructure; Medical sciences; Mice; Microscopy, Electron; Serological tests; Spleen - cytology; Spleen - physiology; Spleen - ultrastructure; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0006-4971; 1528-0020
• DOI: 10.1182/blood.V77.6.1211.1211

During the primary culture of spleen fragments of newborn mice, a spherical body (d = circa 200 to 300 μm) as a three-dimensional cellular organization was formed. Continued production of blood cells from the spherical body was observed without changing its size for about 2 months of culture. Without growth factor, the spherical bodies produced mainly lymphocytes and macrophages. Addition of interleukin-3 enhanced their granulocyte formation, and this enhancement was observed even after a prolonged maintenance without growth factors. The spherical bodies were composed of a uniform mixture of endothelial cells and fibroblasts within the body, and cell–cell contacts between lymphocytes and fibroblasts were notable in the periphery. With prolonged culture, the spherical bodies showed a definite change in their structure by sorting two cell types and the blood cell production gradually decreased. These results suggested that a three-dimensional structure was required for the maintenance, growth, and differentiation of blood cell progenitors in the long-term spleen culture.