Effect of Prednisone on Bone Marrow Cells Regenerating from Total Body Irradiation

Abstract

The accumulation of the lymphocyte-like cells in the bone marrow which occurs normally during regeneration from total body irradiation was suppressed by the corticosteroid prednisone. This suppression was followed by a decrease in the numbers of the erythroid and the myeloid cells, indicating that the lymphocyte-like cells play a role in the recovery of these cells, probably by acting as stem cells.

Key Words:

• Total body irradiation
• regenerating bone marrow cells
• prednisone