Disappearance of haemopoietic stem cells from blood after hydroxyurea.

Haemopoietic stem cells were examined in the blood of mice which had been injected with hydroxyurea. It was observed that the amount of CFU in the blood quickly decreased and after higher doses of hydroxyurea CFU completely disappeared from blood. Since CFU are rather resistant to the killing effect of hydroxyurea, it is assumed that the observed effect is caused either by an interference of hydroxyurea (due to its effect on the blood-forming tissues) with the migration of CFU into blood or by stimulating the removal og CFU from blood.