Immunoreactive erythropoietin concentrations in fetal and neonatal rats and
the effects of hypoxia
GK Clemons, SL Fitzsimmons and D DeManincor
Immunoreactive erythropoietin (Ep) was measured in normoxic and hypoxic
(0.5 atm; 18 hours) fetal rats from day 14 to day 21 of gestation and in
neonatal rats from birth to weaning, and was compared to the adult rat.
Amniotic fluid (AF) Ep was approximately 100 mU/mL on day 14 and 15, and
decreased to 20 mU/mL on day 20, with no difference between the hypoxic and
normoxic mothers. Only on day 21 did the Ep in the AF increase slightly in
the hypoxic group, while the Ep in the control group continued to fall to
15 mU/mL on day 21, the last day of pregnancy. Before day 17 of gestation
the rat fetus appears to have hypoxia-independent, extrahepatic Ep
available which is followed by hepatic and renal Ep production, both of
which become sensitive to maternal hypoxia during the last days of
pregnancy. In the neonatal rat plasma and tissue, Ep levels varied greatly
during the first three weeks of life regardless of whether the animals were
hypoxic or not. With the exception of the first and ninth days of life,
circulating Ep levels were higher than adult levels in normal newborn rats.
Neonatal rats responded to hypoxia with increasing Ep levels, and the
response increased with age such that during the third week of life the
plasma Ep levels were significantly higher than in adult hypoxic rats. No
sex difference in male and female response to hypoxia could be documented
until sexual maturity (day 42). In the normoxic neonatal rat more Ep
originated from the liver than the kidneys until day 10, while under
hypoxic conditions the switch occurred as early as two days after birth.
Volume 68,
Issue 4,
pp. 892-899,
10/01/1986
Copyright © 1986 by The American Society of Hematology
