NE and EPI expand the population of CD34⁺ cells but have no significant effect on the commitment to MK lineage and the proliferation of MKs. Human cord blood–derived CD34⁺ cells were cultured with NE and EPI together with different cytokines for 7 days. (A) Flow cytometric analysis of the numbers of CD34⁺ cells labeled with APC-conjugated anti-CD34 antibody after the cells being treated with NE and EPI at the indicated concentrations in the presence of 20 ng/mL rhSCF. (B) The expression of CD36⁺CD41⁺ on CD34⁺ cells analyzed by flow cytometric analysis. (C) Mean frequency of CD34⁺ cells expressing CD36⁺CD41⁺ after the cells being treated with different concentrations of NE or EPI in the presence of rhSCF. (D) Flow cytometric analysis of CD41⁺CD42b⁺ expression on the cells after treatment with NE (1 μM) or EPI (1 μM) in the presence of 20 ng/mL rhSCF. (E) Mean frequency of cells expressing CD41⁺CD42b⁺ after CD34⁺ cells being treated with different concentrations of NE or EPI in the presence of 20 ng/mL rhSCF. (F) Flow cytometric analysis of CD41⁺ cell counts after NE and EPI treatment at the indicated concentrations in the presence of 20 ng/mL rhTPO. (G) Histogram of DNA content in CD41⁺ cells after CD34⁺ cells being cultured with rhTPO and double-labeled with FITC-conjugated CD41 and PI. *P < .05, **P < .01 vs control. SCF, stem cell factor.