Effects of mixed chimeric bone marrow repopulation on platelet storage pool-associated bleeding defects in mouse...

We have previously shown mouse platelet storage pool deficiency (SPD) to be associated with lesions at eight different genetic loci, each of which is sufficient to produce murine SPD. We have also shown that normal bleeding times and normal platelet functions are restored when mice with SPD are transplanted with marrow from normal mice. Conversely, when normal mice are transplanted with mutant marrow, they present symptoms of SPD. In order to determine the amount of normal platelets needed to prevent the prolonged bleeding times associated with SPD, we established stable mixed chimeric mice by transplanting various ratios of normal and mutant marrow into lethally irradiated host animals. The proportion of normal input marrow correlated well with the proportion of normal peripheral red blood cells and platelets determined in chimerae 100 days after transplantation using direct morphology and electrophoretic variants of glucose phosphate isomerase to identify normal and mutant cell populations. The proportions of normal input marrow were also reflected in the proportions of platelets with normal and mutant platelet morphology in the chimerae. This confirms that the platelet abnormality in SPD is intrinsic to the stem cell population from which the platelets are derived. When bleeding times were determined in the mixed chimeric mice, a surprisingly high percentage of normal platelets (greater than 50% and sometimes greater than 75%) were needed to stop bleeding. These results suggest that the mutant platelets in the mixed chimeric mice may interfere with normal platelet aggregation patterns. They also raise some important considerations in devising treatment for SPD. Bleeding episodes in human SPD are normally treated by platelet transfusion. The results suggest that, at least in some cases, transfusions may not be effective. Also, in future gene therapy of this disease, it is like that a functional gene will have to be present in greater than 50% of stem cells for therapy to be effective.