Background Macrophage stimulating protein (MSP) is produced by human bone marrow endothelial cells. In this study,we sought to observe its effects on inducing the expansion of early hematopoietic progenitor cells which were cultured in a liquid culture system in the presence of the combination of stem cell factor (SCF), interleukin 3 (IL-3), interleukin 6 (IL-6), granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), erythropoietin (EPO) (Cys) and MSP or of Cys and bone marrow endothelial cell conditioned medium (EC-CM).Methods Human bone marrow CD34+ cells were separated and cultured in a liquid culture system for 6 days.Granulocyte-macrophage colony forming unit (CFU-GM) and colony forming unit-granulocyte, erythrocyte, macrophage,megakaryocyte (CFU-GEMM) were employed to assay the effects of different treatment on the proliferation of hematopoeitic stem/progenitor cells. The nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reductive test and hoechest 33258 staining were employed to reflect the differentiation and apoptosis of the cells respectively.Results MSP inhibited the proliferation of CFU-GM and CFU-GEMM in semi-solid culture and the inhibitory effect on CFU-GEMM was stronger than on CFU-GM. MSP inhibited the differentiation of early hematopoietic progenitor cells induced by hematopoietic stimulators. Bone marrow (BM) CFU-GEMM was 2.3-fold or 1.7-fold increase or significantly decreased in either Cys+EC-CM, Cys+MSP or Cys compared with 0 hour control in liquid culture system after 6 days.Conclusion MSP, a hematopoietic inhibitor, inhibits the differentiation of early hematopoietic progenitor cells induced by hematopoietic stimulators and makes the early hematopoietic progenitor cells expand in a liquid culture system.