Erythropoietin activity in acutely uremic mice
Mirand, E.A.; Gordon, A.D.; Murphy, G.P.
Journal of Medicine 6(3-4): 261-270
1975
ISSN/ISBN: 0025-7850 PMID: 1059720 Document Number: 90861
Erythropoietic activity produced by exogenous erythropoietin (Ep) is markedly reduced in Swiss mice rendered uremic by bilateral nephrectomy or bilateral ureteral ligation. Exogenous Ep causes a greater increase in erythropoiesis in germfree Swiss mice as compared with non-germfree mice, but the germfree mice show a more drastic reduction of erythropoiesis in uremia. Heme production in blood, spleen, and femoral marrow retains its typical pattern in uremia; there is no shift of erythropoiesis among the three sites. Production of endogenous Ep in uremic mice is less by a factor of 2-3 than that in intact mice whereas the reduction is by a factor of almost 100 in anephric mice. The data suggest that the anemia associated with uremia is the result of two phenomena: (1) a decreased production of Ep and (2) a diminished erythropoietic response to Ep.