[Effects of hepatic growth factor on c-kit+Lin- cell proliferation in mouse bone marrow]

To determine the optimal cytokine combinations with hepatic growth factor (HGF) that results in the most significant simultaneous in vitro expansion of cc-kit(+)Lin(-) cells derived from the bone marrow.

C-kit(+)Lin(-) cells were isolated from mouse bone marrow using a high-gradient magnetic cell sorting system (MACS) and expanded in the presence of stem cell factor (SCF), FLt-3 ligand (FL), leukemia inhibitor factor (LIF) thrombopoietin (TPO) and different concentrations of HGF for 7days in a liquid culture system. The total cell number and Annexin-V-positive cell number were counted, and the antigen expressions were studied with fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS).

In each group, c-kit(+)Lin(-) cells were expanded effectively and rapidly by 2 to 8 folds. Addition of 10 ng/ml HGF into SCF+FL+LIF+TPO resulted in the most significant expansion of c-kit(+)Lin(-) and total cells by 8.00 and 45.43 folds, respectively, with cell apoptosis rate of 17.42 %. But as the concentration of HGF increased, the c-kit(+)Lin(-) cells and the apoptosis rate decreased.

HGF at10 ng/ml shows optimal synergistic effect with SCF, FL, LIF and TPO in expansion of c-kit(+)Lin(-) cells, and excessive HGF may induce cell differentiation.