Gentamicin reduces the self-renewal capacity of murine pluripotent hemopoietic stem cells.

This study pursues our initial observation of an association between prophylactic treatment of irradiated mice with gentamicin sulfate, and the subsequent low self-renewal capacity exhibited by transplanted marrow CFUS which they host. Either drug treatment of the host before engraftment, or exposure of marrow cells in vitro prior to their inoculation, produced suppressed CFUS self-renewal with respect to paired controls. Characteristics of primary spleen colonies (number, size, histology) were not altered, suggesting a specific deficit in secondary stem cell production or maintenance.