Histologic studies of splenic megakaryocytes after bone marrow ablation with strontium 90

We previously showed that purified strontium 90 produced sustained bone marrow ablation in mice, lowering platelet levels to less than 10% of normal 11 days after administration. Platelet levels later rose exclusively from splenic production and were maintained at a stable level (58% of normal) from 20 to 115 days after injection. However, there was no change in the total number or ploidy distribution of splenic megakaryocytes, as immunologically detected by flow cytometry. To further study the characteristics of splenic thrombopoiesis after bone marrow ablation by 90Sr, we measured the frequency, cross-sectional area, and endomitotic figures of histologically recognizable megakaryocytes (as well as bare megakaryocyte nuclei) in mouse spleen sections. During the hematopoietic nadir 9 days after injection of yttrium 90-free 90Sr, the size (area) of megakaryocyte cross-sections (mean +/- SD, 1079.3 +/- 661.6 microns 2; normal, 398.7 +/- 192.8 microns 2) was greater than for any other time studied, but megakaryocyte frequency (corrected for size) did not increase until day 16. Overall, splenic megakaryocytes in marrow-ablated mice 16 or more days after 90Sr injection showed substantial increases (p = 0.001 for both comparisons) in mean area (707.5 +/- 386.2 microns 2) and sectional frequency (mean +/- SEM, 4.52 +/- 0.20 per 1.83 mm2; normal, 0.78 +/- 0.06 per 1.83 mm2). Megakaryocyte bare nuclei and endomitotic figures were also more numerous after 90Sr, injection, suggesting acceleration of megakaryocyte maturation and platelet production. The induction of splenic platelet production after bone marrow ablation is associated with increased size of recognizable megakaryocytes, despite lack of change in overall splenic megakaryocyte ploidy.