International Journal of Cell Cloning, Vol 2, 99-112, Copyright © 1984 by AlphaMed Press
Hematopoiesis on cellulose ester membranes (CEM). IV. Effect of variation in membrane composition and pore size
WH Knospe, SG Husseini and SS Adler
Artificial membranes composed of mixed cellulose nitrate and acetate esters
(MCEM), polytetrafluoroethylene (Mitex), cellulose acetate (Celotate),
polyvinylchloride (Polyvic), polycarbonate (Nuclepore), or linear
polyethylene with pore sizes ranging from 0.45 mu to 70 mu were coated on
their inner surfaces with a paste of bone marrow, diaphyseal bone, or cells
proliferating in vitro on the inner surfaces of curetted femurs obtained
from syngeneic mice. Squares of these membranes were folded into thirds,
stapled to form an open-ended, tube-like structure, and implanted i.p. into
mice. At intervals of 6-12 months, the membranes were removed and studied
histologically. Control membranes not coated with any substance were also
studied. Trilineal hematopoiesis, bone formation, sinusoidal structures,
fat cells, and hemosiderin-laden macrophages were found with all three
coatings in the tubes formed from the MCEM or Mitex membranes. The Celotate
and Polyvic membranes coated with bone cells and the Polyvic membranes
coated with marrow also developed trilineal hematopoiesis and new bone
tissue. The remaining membranes essentially had only fibrous tissue, except
for rare foci of hematopoiesis which developed on an occasional 30 mu (but
not 70 mu) pore size linear polyethylene membrane. The results of these
studies suggest that hematopoiesis and bone cell formation on these
artificial membranes is closely linked, and that there may be some
interaction between membrane constituents and the cells destined to form
the hematopoietic support layer in the fostering of hematopoiesis. Whether
this interaction is stimulatory or inhibitory was not defined by these
studies.
