ROLE OF PINEAL-GLAND IN THE PROLIFERATION OF COLONY-FORMING-UNITS FORGRANULOCYTES AND MACROPHAGES (CFU-GM) FROM RAT BONE-MARROW CELL-CULTURE

Over the last few years an increasing number of reports focus on a pos sible relationship between the pineal gland and certain immunological functions, In the current experiments we investigated the influence of the pineal gland on a distinct immune parameter. namely that of the i n vitro proliferation of stem and precursor cells for granulocytes and macrophages of the bone marrow cells of male rats. 1. The pineal glan d or its main hormone melatonin seem to have a regulatory role in the proliferation of colony forming units for granulocyte macrophages in r at bone marrow cell cultures. 2. Further, even the time of a surgical pinealectomy and an eventual melatonin injection may play an important role in expressing the activity of CFU-GM's in rat bone marrow cell c ultures