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. 2022 Dec;60(1):1160-1168.
doi: 10.1080/13880209.2022.2083187.

Rhodiola rosea polysaccharides promote the proliferation of bone marrow haematopoietic progenitor cells and stromal cells in mice with aplastic anaemia

Jing Li  1 , Yongfeng Chen  2
Affiliations

Rhodiola rosea polysaccharides promote the proliferation of bone marrow haematopoietic progenitor cells and stromal cells in mice with aplastic anaemia

Jing Li et al. Pharm Biol. 2022 Dec.

Abstract

Context: The effects of Rhodiola rosea L. (Crassulaceae) polysaccharides (RRPs) on haematopoiesis are poorly understood.

Objective: To determine the effects of RRPs on haematopoiesis in mice with aplastic anaemia.

Materials and methods: Aplastic anaemia was induced in Kunming mice by 60Coγ (2.0 Gy) irradiation and cyclophosphamide administration (50 mg/kg/day for 3 consecutive days; intraperitoneal injection). The in vivo effects of RRPs (10, 20, and 40 mg/kg; intraperitoneal injection) on haematopoiesis were analyzed using peripheral blood tests, histopathological examination of haematopoietic tissues, culture of haematopoietic progenitors and bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), and Western blotting of Fas and Fas ligand (FasL). The in vitro effects of RRPs on bone-marrow haematopoietic progenitors and BMSCs were also evaluated.

Results: Compared to anaemic controls, high-dose RRPs (40 mg/kg) significantly increased red blood cells (8.21 ± 0.57835 versus 6.13 ± 1.34623 × 1012/L), white blood cells (5.11 ± 1.6141 versus l.54 ± 1.1539 × 109/L), and BMSCs (10.33 ± 1.5542 versus 5.87 ± 3.1567 × 1012/L) in mice with aplastic anaemia (all p < 0.01). High-dose RRPs significantly increased the formation of colony-forming unit-granulocyte macrophage (CFU-GM), burst-forming unit-erythroid (BFU-E), and colony-forming unit-erythroid (CFU-E; p < 0.01). Fas and FasL protein expression in BMSCs decreased after RRPs administration. Especially at the high dose, RRPs (150 μg/mL) significantly promoted in vitro CFUs-E, BFUs-E, and CFUs-GM formation. RRPs (150-300 μg/mL) also promoted BMSC proliferation.

Discussion and conclusions: RRPs helped to promote haematopoietic recovery in mice with aplastic anaemia, facilitating haematopoietic tissue recovery. This study indicated some mechanisms of the haematopoietic regulatory effects of RRPs. Our findings provide a laboratory basis for clinical research on RRPs.

Keywords: Rhodiola rosea L.; bone marrow stromal cells; haematopoiesis regulation; haematopoietic progenitor cells; mice with aplastic anaemia.

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Conflict of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Influence of RPPs on peripheral blood and BMCs in mice with aplastic anaemia. (A) WBCs, (B) RBCs, (C) PLTs, and (D) BMCs. #p<0.01 versus normal controls; *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.01 versus anaemic controls.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Influence of RRPs on histopathological changes in bone marrow in mice with aplastic anaemia. (A) Bone marrow, normal control (100×); (B) bone marrow, anaemic control (100×); (C) bone marrow, high-dose RRPs (100×); (D) bone marrow, medium-dose RRPs (100×); and (E) bone marrow, low-dose RRPs (100×). Stain, haematoxylin and eosin.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Culture of bone-marrow haematopoietic progenitor cells. (A) CFU-E, (B) BFU-E, (C) CFU-GM, and (D) CFU-Meg. Normal control, unstained (200×).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
In vivo effects of RRPs on proliferation of bone-marrow haematopoietic progenitors. (A) CFU-E, (B) BFU-E, (C) CFU-GM, and (D) CFU-Meg. #p<0.01 versus normal controls; *p<0.05 and **p<0.01 versus anaemic controls.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Protein expression of Fas and FasL. (A) Western blot analysis of Fas and FasL. Lane 1, normal controls; lane 2, anaemic controls; lane 3, low-dose RRPs; lane 4, medium-dose RRPs; and lane 5, high-dose RRPs. (B) Integrated optical density (IOD) of Fas. (C) IOD of FasL. #p<0.01 versus normal controls; *p<0.05 and **p<0.01 versus anaemic controls.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
In vitro effects of RRPs on proliferation of bone-marrow haematopoietic progenitors. (A) CFU-E, (B) BFU-E, (C) CFU-GM, and (D) CFU-Meg. *p<0.05 versus the 0 µg/mL RRPs group.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
In vitro effects of RRPs on BMSC proliferation.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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