Stimulated hemopoiesis and enhanced survival following glucan treatment in sublethally and lethally irradiated mice.

Hemopoietic effects of the reticuloendothelial agent glucan were assayed in normal mice and in mice hemopoietically depleted by exposure to 60Co radiation. In normal mice, glucan administration increased the content of bone marrow and splenic transplantable pluripotent hemopoietic stem cells (CFU-s), committed granulocyte-macrophage progenitor cells (GM-CFC), and pure macrophage progenitor cells (M-CFC). Erythroid progenitor cells (CFU-e) were increased only in the spleen. In sublethally irradiated mice (650 rads), glucan increased the number of endogenous pluripotent hemopoietic stem cells (E-CFU) when administered either before or after irradiation. The most pronounced effects were observed when glucan was administered 1 day before, 1 h before, or 1 h after irradiation. In addition, the administration of glucan before lethal irradiation (900 rads) enhanced survival. The most significant results were seen when glucan was administered 1 day prior to irradiation. The possibility of using agents such as glucan to enhance hemopoietic reconstitution and prevent septicemia following chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy is discussed.