The effects of red blood cell extracts on the proliferation of erythrocyte precursor cells, in vivo.

Saline incubation extracts of mature erythrocytes were assayed in vivo by a variety of techniques in order to study their ability to modify the proliferation of maturing erythroid cells. Using comparable extracts from granulocytes and lymphocytes, the specificity of the effect of the red cell extract for erythroid cells was confirmed by measurement of autoradiographic labelling indices, radio-iron incorporation and spleen colony growth. The erythroid cells were found to be very sensitive to the effects of the extract, as little as 10 microgram per mouse producing a maximum effect on iron incorporation. It was found that the extract does not block erythroid cells proliferation completely but simply lengthens the cell cycle, mainly by increasing the GI phase of the cycle. There was no effect on the committed erythroid precursor cells. The in vivo activity, specificity and non-toxicity to the cells, together with the cells' sensitivity to red cell extract suggest, therefore, that this inhibitor may play a physiological role in the control of red cell production.