International Journal of Cell Cloning, Vol 5, 74-88, Copyright © 1987 by AlphaMed Press
The effect of hemin in vitro and in vivo on human erythroid progenitor cells [corrected and republished article originally printed in Int J Cell Cloning 1986 Nov;4(6):432-46]
FJ Kaye, RS Weinberg, JM Schofield and BP Alter
Hemin stimulates erythropoiesis and hemoglobin synthesis in vitro. We
cultured erythroid progenitor cells from normal individuals, patients with
sickle cell anemia, and a patient with acute variegate porphyria who
received intravenous hemin treatment, with 0-800 microM hemin added in
vitro. Fifty to 200 microM hemin consistently stimulated colony growth from
normal donors 2- to 8-fold, while concentrations of up to 400 microM were
stimulatory in cultures from donors with sickle cell anemia. In vivo hemin
decreased the number of blood BFU-e in the patient with porphyria, but did
not abrogate the in vitro stimulatory effect of hemin. Hemin concentrations
which increased colony numbers increased gamma globin synthesis in some
studies and decreased it in others. Hemin thus has clearcut erythroid
growth-potentiating activity, although a consistent effect on globin chain
regulation is not apparent.
