Experimental hypoplastic marrow failure in the mouse.

In order to study the pathogenesis of aplastic anemia in man, hemopoietic stem cells were investigated in 'aplastic mice' the aplasia being induced by the immunological method. C3H/He (H-2k, Mlsc) received 600 rad whole body x-irradiation followed by the transplantation of 10(7) lymph node cells prepared from B10.BR mic e (H-2k, Mlsb). The C3H/He mice developed pancytopenia and marrow hypoplasia 21 days after these treatments. The total number of nucleated cells, CFU-S and CFU-C in the marrow and the wet weight and CFU-C of the spleen were markedly reduced. These findings are consistent with those of aplastic anemia in man and the model may provide a useful tool for the investigation of the pathogenesis of this anemia. Control mice that received irradiation only recovered from the damage 21 days later, while control mice that receive lymph node cells only showed no hematological changes.