Role of interleukin-3 in the regulation of intracellular K+ homeostasis in cultured murine haemopoietic cells.

Abstract

Comparative fluorimetric, flow cytofluorimetric and fluorescence ratiometric determinations of intracellular K+ concentrations in murine haemopoietic cells (FDCP-Mix clone A4) cultured in the presence and absence of the specific growth factor Interleukin-3 were carried out with the fluorescent potassium-binding benzofuran-isophthalate acetoxymethyl ester probe. Cell suspensions kept in the absence of Interleukin-3 for 5 hours exhibited lower fluorescence intensities and smaller fluorescence ratios than their growth-factor-replete counterparts, an effect found to be reversible by readdition of the growth factor. It is concluded that Interleukin-3 deprivation of these cells leads to loss of intracellular K+. It is tentatively suggested that this deprivation-induced K+ loss might be associated with an early event in apoptotic cell death.