Ectopic bone marrow development in experimental busulfan-induced hypoplastic anemia in mice.

The intramuscular implantation of devitalized bone matrix in 42 mice with busulfan-induced bone marrow failure and in 42 control mice led to the sequential formation of ectopic cartilage, bone and bone marrow. The morphological volumetric estimation of these components in the hypoplastic mice showed a significant increase in cartilage and a decrease in hematopoietic bone marrow as compared with control mice. The cellularity in the ectopic hematopoietic bone marrow was similar to that of sternal bone marrow. The possible significance of these findings is discussed.