Erythropoietin (Epo), protein and iron supplementation and the prevention of anaemia of prematurity: effects on serum immunoreactive Epo, growth and protein and iron metabolism.

The effect of recombinant human (r-Hu) erythropoietin (Epo) (300 IU/Kg per week for 4 weeks) was studied in healthy preterm infants (n = 14) fed human milk with additional milk protein and high doses of iron. The controls (n = 15) were in themselves a study group and were used to follow the natural course of anaemia of prematurity on such nutrition. Serum immunoreactive Epo (SiEpo) increased significantly 24 h after r-HuEpo injections (range 36 to > 128 mU/ml) and remained at these levels throughout the treatment period.

The effect of the submandibular salivary gland on the erythropoietin response to hypoxia in mice with chronic renal failure.

The role of the submandibular salivary gland (SG) in the renal and extrarenal erythropoietin (Epo) response to hypoxia was evaluated in adult male mice with chronic renal failure from partial nephrectomy. A partial nephrectomy model for chronic renal failure was used in an attempt to evaluate erythropoiesis and Epo production in mice whose renal source of Epo may be compromised and thus more dependent on extrarenal sources. Mice with two-thirds of total renal mass excised developed a three-fold increase in serum creatinine concentration, polyuria, and polydipsia but not anemia.

Invalidity from nonparallelism in a radioimmunoassay for erythropoietin accounted for by human serum antibodies to rabbit IgG.

An immunologic crossreactant of erythropoietin seemed to develop and persist in serum samples from a patient during treatment and remission of idiopathic aplastic anemia. It had a steeper slope to radioimmunoassay log-dose response lines and a larger molecular size than erythropoietin. On fractionation of serum, the apparent crossreactant was bound by staphylococcal Protein A at pH 7.

The effect of bilateral removal of the submandibulary salivary glands on the erythropoietic response of mice.

The role of the submandibular salivary gland in erythropoiesis in the male mouse (MRC TO strain) was evaluated by subjecting mice without submandibular salivary glands (SX) and control (C) sham-operated mice to a variety of stimuli intended to stress the erythropoietic system. In SX mice, after removal of the submandibular glands at age 4 weeks and observation for 8 weeks, mean hematocrit was the same as in C mice, but mean body weight was less. Bilateral removal of the submandibular glands at age 6 weeks neither affected the rate of fall and subsequent recovery of hematocrit which followed treatment with phenylhydrazine (80 mg/kg intraperitoneally [i.