Studies on extrarenal erythropoietin.

Abstract

Abstract The plasma of nephrectomized rats exposed to intense hypoxia contained detectable amounts of an erythropoietic stimulating factor. The titer of this factor increased with further increase in the intensity of hypoxia. Extrarenal erythropoietin is capable of stimulating heme synthesis by bone marrow cells in vitro and is neutralized by antiserum to erythropoietin. These data indicate that extrarenal erythropoietin is probably identical to that of renal origin, and its production is regulated by the intensity of hypoxia.