Liver-associated macrophage precursor cells proliferate under impairment of regular hemopoiesis

We reported previously that immature macrophage precursor cells can be isolated from spleen and liver of cyclophosphamide or pyran copolymer-pretreated mice. We now extended our investigations to livers of normal, untreated specific pathogen-free mice. Using the response to the macrophage growth factor colony stimulating factor-1 (CSF-1) and the presence of the mouse macrophage-specific F4/80 antigen as criteria of definition, in the liver of normal we could demonstrate macrophage precursor cells by means of proliferation assays and flow cytometric analysis.