Changes in proliferation and differentiation of albino mouse bone marrow cells caused by heparin

Abstract

Experiments on noninbred albino mice after daily injection of heparin (250 units/kg) for 2 weeks showed that the leukocyte count in the peripheral blood increased by 30%, the number of nucleated cells in the femoral marrow was unchanged, and the leukoerythroblastic ratio rose from 4.1 to 7.6. Autoradiographic studies showed that the duration of the mitotic cycle and of its various periods were unchanged by the action of heparin: T=13 h, S=8 h, G₂=1 h, G₁+M=4 h. In heparinized animals the shape of the curve of labeled mitoses was close to the ideal theoretical curve. It is postulated that under the influence of heparin cell division is synchronized in the bone marrow and differentiation is shifted toward myelopoiesis.