Comparative Investigation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells Isolated from the Bone Marrow and Fetal Liver of Mouse and Rat

Abstract

We studied the properties of cells forming fibroblast colonies from the bone marrow and embryonic liver of mouse and rat. Bone marrow and embryonic liver cells formed colonies in vitro including fibroblasts as well as a considerable proportion of macrophages. The colonies formed from bone marrow and hepatic cells of rat differed from the murine ones by a higher proportion of fibroblasts. Most colonies derived from the bone marrow of both mouse and rat included a proportion of cells expressing acid phosphatase, and hence, capable of osteogenic differentiation; the colonies derived from the embryonic liver included low proportions of such cells. Cell layers derived from the colony-forming fibroblasts of both the bone marrow and embryonic liver of mouse maintained hematopoiesis in the peritoneal cavity of irradiated mice, which indicates that these precursor cells can form hematopoietic environment.