Inhibition of bone marrow myeloid precursor cell proliferation by chemotactic oligopeptides

Three N-formylated oligopeptides with different known activities as chemotactic factors for leukocytes were studied to determined if these mediators affect the in vitro proliferation of myelomonocytic colony-forming cells (CFU-C) recovered from murine bone marrow. All three oligopeptides inhibited CFU-C growth in a dose-dependent fashion that correlated with their relative potencies as chemotactic factors. This inhibition was not altered by growth of CFU-C in the presence of indomethacin, by varying the concentrations of colony-stimulating factor (CSF), or by depleting marrow cell preparations of mature granulocytic elements. These studies indicate that chemotactic factors may mediate myelosuppression through effects on committed myeloid precursor cells in the marrow.