In vivo kinetics of murine hemopoietic stem cells.

We used stochastic modeling and computer simulation to study the replication, apoptosis, and differentiation of murine hemopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in vivo. This approach allows description of the behavior of an unobserved population (ie, HSCs) on the basis of the behavior of observed progeny cells (ie, granulocytes and lymphocytes). The results of previous limiting-dilution, competitive-repopulation studies in 44 mice were compared with the results of simulated transplantation studies to identify parameters that led to comparable outcomes. Using this approach, we estimated that murine HSCs replicate (on average) once every 2.5 weeks and that the frequency of murine HSCs is 8 per 10(5) nucleated marrow cells. If it is assumed that short-term repopulating cells are distinct from HSCs, that they contribute to hemopoiesis early after transplantation, and that they are independently regulated, a frequency of 4 HSCs per 10(5) nucleated marrow cells also allows simulations that best approximate the observed data. When stochastic modeling and computer simulation were applied to limiting-dilution, autologous-transplantation studies in cats heterozygous for glucose-6-phosphate-dehydrogenase, different estimates of HSC replication rate (1 per 8.3-10 weeks) and frequency (6 per 10(7) cells) were derived. Therefore, it appears that these parameters vary inversely with increased longevity, size, or both. An implication of these data is that human HSCs may be less frequent and replicate more slowly. These findings on cell kinetics have several implications.