Figure 4.
The HSC niche of CKD-MBD mice is functionally impaired and affects the repopulating capacity of HSC. (A) BM cells obtained from untreated donors were harvested and transplanted into lethally irradiated, congenic CKD-MBD or sham-operated recipients. At 18 weeks after transplantation, BMC obtained from primary recipients were harvested, pooled, analyzed for LSK chimerism (E) and re-transplanted into lethally irradiated secondary recipients. At three-week intervals, donor chimerism was analyzed in (B–D) primary and (E–G) secondary recipients. Donor-derived (B,E) CD45+ cells and (C,F) granulocytes were assessed. (D,G) At 18 weeks after transplantation the percentage of donor-derived CD45+ cells, granulocytes, LinnegSca-1posc-kithi (LSK) cells and CD34negLSK (HSC) in the spleen and BM were analyzed. *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.01. In panel B–G, each dot represents a single mouse.