Studies of the hemopoietic microenvironments. V. Changes in murine splenic and bone marrow glycosaminoglycans during post irradiation hemopoietic regeneration.

Changes in the amount of sulphated and unsulphated glycosaminoglycans in the spleen and the bone marrow of lethally irradiated mice were followed up to 11 days after irradiation. One day after irradiation, a sharp decrease in the amount of glycosaminoglycans was observed. In the absence of hemopoietic cells, the remaining stromal elements of spleen and bone marrow underwent subsequently marked changes in the amount of the sulphated and unsulphated components of the glycosaminoglycans in both organs. Reconstitution of irradiated mice with bone marrow cells affected the pattern of changes in the amount of glycosaminoglycans. Although no linear correlation could be observed between the amount of glycosaminoglycans and the number of hemopoietic cells present in the hemopoietic organs, these results suggest an interaction between hemopoietic cells and stromal cells in the hemopoietic organs with regard to the glycosaminoglycan metabolism.