Phenotypic and Functional Evaluation of Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells in Toxicology of Heavy Metals

All blood cells are differentiated from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs), a process known as hematopoiesis that can be influenced by a variety of environmental factors. In this unit, we introduce a couple of protocols including phenotypic analysis, mixed bone marrow (BM) chimera and rescue assays, colony-forming unit (CFU), and in vitro OP9 stromal cell differentiation assays for evaluating HSPCs in the BM of mice, and provide some examples of their implications in mouse models treated with heavy metals. The protocols for evaluating hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) comprise phenotypic analysis and functional transplantation assays. The protocols for assessing hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) consist of phenotypic analysis and in vitro differentiation assays. The main techniques applied in these protocols include flow cytometry (phenotypic analysis and sorting), irradiation, transplantation, and cell culture. © 2018 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.