The role of interleukin 6 and interleukin 1 in megakaryocyte development.

The effect of human interleukin 6 (IL-6) and interleukin 1 (IL-1) on cells of the megakaryocyte lineage from murine bone marrow was examined. In bone marrow liquid culture, IL-6 but not IL-1 increases the amount of acetylcholinesterase, a megakaryocyte marker. In semisolid colony assays, a low level of interleukin 3 (IL-3) was used as a growth factor, and IL-6 and IL-1 were tested for their ability to potentiate the activity of IL-3 to stimulate megakaryocyte colony formation. IL-6 and/or IL-1 had no effect on megakaryocyte colony formation in the absence of IL-3. However, IL-6 was able to stimulate increased megakaryocyte colonies in the presence of IL-3. IL-1 was able to potentiate colony formation only in the presence of both IL-3 and IL-6.