KINETICS OF MURINE HAEMOPOIETIC CELL PROLIFERATION IN DIFFUSION CHAMBERS

Murine bone marrow cells were cultured in cell impermeable diffusion chambers in the abdominal cavities of mice. The kinetics of granulocyte and macrophage formation were studied by stathmokinetic and autoradiographic techniques. During the period of most rapid growth of proliferative granulocytes, their generation time and its different phases were: t _c∽ 8 hr, t _G1∽ 1·5 hr, t _s∽ 5·5 hr, t _G2∽ 0·7 hr and t _M∽ 0·25 hr.
The generation time of macrophages and their precursors was approximately 8 hr. Formation of macrophages was significantly reduced when chamber inoculum was increased, as judged by ³H-TdR labelling index.