Granulocytic-macrophagic and macrophagic colony stimulating factors elicit colonies of mast cells in mouse bone marrow agar culture. An electron microscope study
Brambilla, P.; Gioria, M.; Brivio, R.; Ferrari, E.; Tramacere, P.; Colombo, L.; Sarto, C.; Mocarelli, P.
Journal of Submicroscopic Cytology and Pathology 25(2): 239-246
1993
ISSN/ISBN: 1122-9497 PMID: 8324727 Document Number: 415904
Granulocytic-macrophagic colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and macrophagic colony stimulating factor (M-CSF or CSF-1) stimulate bone marrow cells of mouse to produce in semisolid agar colonies in which mononuclear cells were reported to be macrophages. We verified in such colonies the ultrastructure of the mononuclear cells which had cytoplasmic granules of the mast cells and lacked lysosomes, therefore we considered them as mast cells. However, the granules content did not reach the degree of condensation typically found in granules of mouse peritoneal mature mast cells. The mast cells of colonies obtained in agar can be mast cells arrested at some point in the maturative process, mast cells of a yet unrecognized type or cells with mast cells ultrastructural features which behave as precursors for cells of myeloid lineage.