Induction of Moderate DNA Damage Enhances Megakaryopoiesis and Platelet Production

A common side effect of poly-ADP ribose polymerase (PARP) inhibitors is low platelet counts, or thrombocytopenia, presumably mediated through platelet progenitors, megakaryocytes (MKs). MKs are large, hematopoietic cells with a polyploid, multi-lobulated nucleus. While DNA replication in MKs (endomitosis) is well studied, limited investigations have examined the impact of DNA damage and repair inhibition on megakaryopoiesis. To explore PARP inhibitor-induced thrombocytopenia, we treated mice with PARP inhibitors (niraparib and olaparib), which are approved for the treatment of solid tumors. While high-dose niraparib treatment led to thrombocytopenia, consistent with clinical observations, treatment at a lower dosage led to a significant, >1.5-fold increase in both the number of bone marrow MKs and circulating platelets. This increase was accompanied by elevated DNA damage in both MKs and MK progenitors, as measured by both γH2AX accumulation and comet assays of MKs. Notably, platelets from niraparib-treated mice were functionally normal in their response to ADP, TRAP, and collagen. Gamma-irradiation treatment similarly increased MK and platelet counts in mice, suggesting that moderate DNA damage enhances megakaryopoiesis and increases platelet counts. These data reveal a previously unknown relationship between MKs and DNA damage and present a novel target for triggering enhanced platelet production in vivo.