Synergistic effects of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor and macrophage-colony stimulating factor on recovery of donor hematopoietic cells in allogeneic bone marrow transplantation.

G-CSF and M-CSF are used clinically to augment hematopoiesis after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and chemotherapy. In this paper, we examined the synergistic effect of G-CSF and M-CSF on hematopoietic recovery in allogeneic BMT as a model of human BMT. We performed BMT from eGFP-transgenic mice (C57BL/6 background; H-2b) into lethally-irradiated C3H (H-2k).

G-CSF and/or M-CSF accelerate differentiation of bone marrow cells into endothelial progenitor cells in vitro.

It has been reported that granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and granulocyte-macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) can mobilize endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in bone marrow cells (BMCs) into peripheral blood (PB) in vivo. Previously, we also reported that macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) can mobilize EPCs into PB, which results in the rapid recovery of blood flow in induced-ischemia limbs by augmenting the number of intramuscular capillaries in vivo. In the present study, we demonstrate that M-CSF and/or G-CSF can increase EPCs from lineage (CD3, B220, Gr-1, Mac-1, CD11c, Ter119, NK1.

Mechanisms underlying acceleration of blood flow recovery in ischemic limbs by macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

Recently we reported that macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) can mobilize endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) from the bone marrow into the peripheral blood, resulting in an increase in the number of blood vessels and augmentation of blood flow in the ischemia-induced legs. M-CSF accelerates neovascularization of ischemic lesions resulting from the mobilization of EPCs. In the present paper, we analyze the mechanisms underling the mobilization of EPCs by M-CSF.

Long-term survival of bone marrow-derived retinal nerve cells in the retina.

Recently, we have demonstrated that bone marrow stem cells can differentiate into retinal nerve cells. In the present study, we show a new and efficient strategy for transplanting bone marrow stem cells into the retina. When bone marrow stem cells were injected into the vitreous cavity of untreated eyes, only very few cells were found in the retina 2 weeks after injection.

A comparison of optic disc topographic parameters in patients with primary open angle glaucoma, normal tension glaucoma, and ocular hypertension.

Background: Heidelberg Retina Tomograph (HRT) findings have been employed to quantitatively assess the topography of optic discs. We measured topographic parameters of optic discs in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), normal-tension glaucoma (NTG), and ocular hypertension (OH) using an HRT in order to determine whether HRT topographic parameters can be used to differentiate those conditions.

Methods: Seventeen eyes in 17 patients with POAG, 23 eyes in 23 patients with NTG, and 15 eyes in 15 patients with OH were examined using an HRT, and the results were analyzed by age, refractive error, and topographic parameters.