Neuropeptide modulation of murine erythropoiesis.

Neuropeptide modulation of hematopoietic stem cell differentiation was studied in an in vitro murine system. Endorphins were able to influence the erythropoietin-dependent differentiation of bone marrow cells into erythroid colony forming units in a dose dependent manner. The effects on progenitor cell maturation were influenced by the conditions and time of exposure to the endorphins. The modulation of erythropoiesis by the endorphins suggests that these peptides may function as modifiers of the maturation of bone marrow cells.