EFFECTS OF ALPHA-GALACTOSYLCERAMIDES ON BONE-MARROW CELLS IN-VITRO AND HEMATOPOIESIS IN-VIVO

Citation
K. Motoki et al., EFFECTS OF ALPHA-GALACTOSYLCERAMIDES ON BONE-MARROW CELLS IN-VITRO AND HEMATOPOIESIS IN-VIVO, Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin, 19(7), 1996, pp. 952-955
Citations number
20
Categorie Soggetti
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
ISSN journal
09186158
Volume
19
Issue
7
Year of publication
1996
Pages
952 - 955
Database
ISI
SICI code
0918-6158(1996)19:7<952:EOAOBC>2.0.ZU;2-Q
Abstract
We found that AGL-517, an alpha-galactosylceramide (alpha-GalCer), pos sesses potent radioprotective activities against mice irradiated with 9 Gy of S-ray in contrast to its having no effect on mice irradiated w ith 10 Gy of X-ray. The result suggested the possibility that alpha-Ga lCers protect mice from hone marrow death. To examine this possibility , we examined the effects of two kinds of alpha- and beta-GalCers on c ounts of platelets (PLT) and white blood cells (WBC) in the peripheral blood of normal mice and mice irradiated in a whole body with 5 Gy of X-ray, alpha-GalCers significantly increased the PLT and WBC counts o f both mice in comparison with the vehicle-treated group, and their po tencies were stronger than those of their beta-types, Furthermore, we evaluated the in vitro hone marrow cell-proliferation stimulatory acti vities of four kinds of GalCers, and found that alpha-GalCers show str anger stimulatory effects than beta-types. These results demonstrate t hat the alpha-configuration of GalCers plays an important role in the manifestation of the above-mentioned activities of GalCers, The result s also suggest that alpha-GalCers mag be useful as hematopoietic stimu lators as well as radioprotective agents.