Human, mouse, and dog bone marrow show similar mesenchymal stromal cells within a distinctive microenvironment

Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) are a key part of the hematopoietic niche. Mouse and human BMSCs are recognized by different markers (LepR and NGFR/CD271, respectively). However, there has not been a detailed in situ comparison of both populations within the hematopoietic microenvironment. Moreover, dog BMSCs have not been characterized in situ by any of those markers. We conducted a systematic histopathological comparison of mouse, human, and dog BMSCs within their bone marrow architecture and microenvironment. Human and dog CD271+ BMSCs had a morphology, frequency, and distribution within trabecular bone marrow similar to those of mouse LepR+ BMSCs. However, mouse bone marrow had higher cellularity and megakaryocyte content. In conclusion, highly comparable bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell distribution among the three species establishes the validity of using mouse and dog as a surrogate experimental model of hematopoietic stem cell-BMSC interactions. However, the distinct differences in adipocyte and megakaryocyte microenvironment content of mouse bone marrow and how they might influence hematopoietic stem cell interactions as compared with humans require further study.