CD38 expression by hematopoietic stem cells of newborn and juvenile mice

While investigators in a number of laboratories have documented that the hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) of fetal and adult mice are CD38(+), no information is available about CD38 expression by HSCs of newborn and juvenile mice. We used a murine, transplantation model to examine HSC CD38 expression. First, we observed that all HSCs from newborn bone marrow are CD38(-). Next, it was determined that the majority of HSCs in the bone marrow of 5-week-old mice are CD38(-), with a minority being CD38(+). These observations indicated that the CD38(+) subpopulation of HSC appears before the age of 5 weeks and expands during adolescence. However, the majority of HSCs of 5-week-old mice became CD38(+) following injection of 5-fluorouracil, indicating that activation of juvenile stem cells enhances CD38 expression. These observations may have implications for CD38 expression by HSCs from human umbilical cord blood and bone marrow of young children in steady state and under pathological conditions.