Phospholipase A2 products predict the hematopoietic support capacity of horse serum

Horse serum is commonly used as an additive to support the maintenance of hematopoietic progenitor cells in culture. However, the wide variability in the performance of different lots calls for parallel testing of multiple batches over extended periods of culture. Identification of the serum components that determine hematopoietic support would therefore save considerable time and effort and would help to standardize culture procedures. We report here that the ability of horse serum to support the self-renewal of multipotent murine hematopoietic progenitor FDCP-Mix cells is correlated to the concentration of specific fatty acid products of phospholipase A2 and more closely to the spectrum of eicosanoids generated by their further processing through cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase pathways. Supportive sera have low levels of lysophosphatidylcholine and inflammatory eicosanoids. This links known markers of inflammation, infection and platelet activation to the ability of serum to maintain progenitor cells in an undifferentiated state, providing a means for prospective identification of suitable sera as well as quality control of the production process.