Combined Effects of Irradiation and Hindlimb Suspension on Erythroid Lineage Precursors from Rat Bone Marrow

Erythroid precursors from the femoral bone marrow of Wistar rats were characterized after 30-day hindlimb suspension, fractionated γ-radiation, and their combination. After hindlimb suspension, the total content of myeloid CFU decreased; activity of erythroid differon also considerably suppressed, which manifested in a decrease in the number of erythroid burst-forming units and area of colonies formed by erythrocyte precursors. After irradiation and combined exposure to these two factors, no significant differences from the control were revealed; optical density of formed colonies slightly increased in all experimental groups. Thus, suppression of the erythroid lineage was most pronounced during hindlimb unloading. The combined effect of radiation and hindlimb suspension produced no appreciable negative effect on erythropoiesis in rat bone marrow.