Characterization of basophil-like cells derived from nonhuman primate bone marrow

In order to determine whether mast cells or basophils could be derived from nonhuman primate bone marrow, cells from bone marrow aspirates were cultured in the presence of concanavalin A-stimulated nonhuman primate spleen cell supernatants (CAS). Culture conditions were identical to those used for culturing mucosal-like mast cells from mouse bone marrow. In this situation, basophil-like cells (BLC) could be identified in liquid cultures and averaged 14-19 microM in size, were round or oval in appearance, had lobulated nuclei, and contained less than 100 metachromatically staining granules per cell. By electron microscopy, granules had dense oval or semilunar cores with surrounding fibrous whorls. BLC were peroxidase positive, chloroacetate esterase negative, stained positively with acid toluidine blue, and contained 0.1-0.3 pg histamine per cell. BLC expressed IgE receptors and were Leu 5b and Leu 16 negative. IgE-sensitized BLC released histamine after stimulation with antihuman IgE or the calcium ionophore A23187. [35S]-labeled proteoglycans were degraded with chondroitinase ABC but not with heparinase, indicating the absence of heparin in BLC. Thus, culture conditions that include the use of CAS and lead to the growth of mast cells from rodent bone marrow result in the growth of BLC from nonhuman primate bone marrow. These observations suggest that fundamental differences exist in the type of histamine containing cells that arise from rodent and primate bone marrow when such bone marrow cells are cultured under identical conditions.