Abstract

The increased susceptibility in patients of chronic renal failure to infection has been reported to be attributed to defects in granulocyte and lymphocyte function and proliferative activity of hematopoietic cells. The definite cause of the frequent infection in uremic patients, however, is still controversial. The effect of uremic plasma on the aspect of the hematopoietic cells has been scarcely been studied. In the present study, mouse bone marrow was cultured with uremic plasma, to evaluate the effect of uremic plasma on the proliferative activity and morphological features of CFU-GM. The results obtained were as follows. 1) The number of colonies in group co-cultured with uremic plasma was more reduced than that of normal plasma group. 2) There was no difference between the group cultured with predialytic uremic plasma and that of postdialytic plasma in number of colonies, macroclusters and microclusters. 3) The forms of colony were granulocytic and monocytic forms at 5 day of culture. Electron microscopically, granulocytes disclosed electron dense azurophilic granules and electrolucent specific granules in the cytoplasm, and monocyte showed numerous vesicles and vacuoles in the cytoplasm which had finger-like projections. 4) The molecular weight of inhibitory factor in the uremic plasma was supposed to be less than 50,000 daltons.

• Keywords: CFU-GM (colony forming unitgranulocyte and monocyte);granulocyte;monocyte;uremic plasma;