Ex vivo expansions of megakaryocytopoiesis from placental and umbilical cord blood CD34(+) cells in serum-free culture supplemented with proteoglycans extracted from the nasal cartilage of salmon heads and the nasal septum cartilage of whale.

As a possible approach to the treatment of thrombopocytopenia, the ex vivo expansion of megakaryocytic progenitor cells may be a useful tool to accelerate platelet recovery in vivo. Our objective was to assess the promoting effect of proteoglycans in a serum-free culture condition using human cord blood CD34(+) cells. Highly purified proteoglycan (PG) extracted from the nasal cartilage of salmon heads and the nasal septum cartilage of a whale were applied to the ex vivo expansion of megakaryocytopoiesis and thrombopoiesis from placental and umbilical cord blood CD34(+) cells in serum-free cultures stimulated with a combination of thrombopoietin (TPO) and interleukin-3 (IL-3).

Differential induction from X-irradiated human peripheral blood monocytes to dendritic cells.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are a type of antigen-presenting cell which plays an essential role in the immune system. To clarify the influences of ionizing radiation on the differentiation to DCs, we focused on human peripheral blood monocytes and investigated whether X-irradiated monocytes can differentiate into DCs. The non-irradiated monocytes and 5 Gy-irradiated monocytes were induced into immature DCs (iDCs) and mature DCs (mDCs) with appropriate cytokine stimulation, and the induced cells from each monocyte expressed each DC-expressing surface antigen such as CD40, CD86 and HLA-DR.

Individual differences in the radiosensitivity of hematopoietic progenitor cells detected in steady-state human peripheral blood.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the individual differences in radiosensitivity of lineage-committed myeloid hematopoietic progenitors, colony-forming cells (CFC), detected in steady-state human peripheral blood (PB). Mononuclear cells were prepared from the buffy-coat of 30 individuals PB, and were assayed for CFC by semi-solid culture supplemented with cytokines. X irradiation was performed in the range of 0.

Apple procyanidins induce tumor cell apoptosis through mitochondrial pathway activation of caspase-3.

Various epidemiologic and experimental in vivo and in vitro studies have suggested that polyphenols derived from fruits, vegetables and beverages might decrease the risk of developing lifestyle diseases, such as cardiovascular disorders and cancer. Apples are a major dietary source of polyphenols. Here we investigated the antitumor activity of apple polyphenols (APs) and procyanidins, namely condensed tannins, both in vitro and in vivo studies.