[The possible pathways of IL-2 stimulation of colony formation by bone marrow cells irradiated in vitro]

The authors have made an attempt to find out the reasons of IL-2 stimulation of spleen colony growth by in vitro (1 Gy) irradiated bone marrow cells. It was shown that the effect of IL on haemopoiesis manifests itself with merely small radiation doses implying that the influence of the preparation makes the process of haemopoietic organ repopulation start at a higher level of cell survival, which is presumably related to a more active repair of radiation-induced CFUs damages: this leads, with other things being equal (e.g. proliferation rate and f factor), to a higher yield of colonies than it is observed with the recipients protected with the exposed bone marrow only.