Relationships between thrombopoiesis and erythropoiesis: with studies of
the effects of preparations of thrombopoietin and erythropoietin
BL Evatt, JL Spivak and J Levin
The effects of administration of partially purified human urinary
erythropoietin and rabbit thrombopoietin, and of endogenously produced
erythropoietin and thrombopoietin on both red cell and platelet production
were examined in mice. Partially purified thrombopoietin was prepared from
rabbit plasma by sequential fractionation with ammonium sulfate
precipitation, and DEAE and Sephadex G-100 chromatography. Preparations of
thrombopoietin and partially purified human urinary erythropoietin (NIH No.
H-11-TaLSL) were administered subcutaneously to normal mice, and the rate
of incorporation of selenomethionine-75 Se into platelets was measured as
an index of thrombopoietic activity of the infused material. Erythropoietin
and thrombopoietin were assayed for erythropoietic activity by measuring
the rate of appearance of 59Fe in the red cells of posthypoxic polycythemic
mice. Preparations containing thrombopoietin had barely measurable
erythropoietic activity, and 7 units of partially purified erythropoietin
had little thrombopoietic activity. When endogenous levels of
erythropoietin were increased by hypoxia, platelet production was not
enhanced. Similarly, increased levels of thrombopoietin, induced in
response to thrombocytopenia produced by platelet antiserum, did not alter
red cell production. These data suggest that physiologically increased
levels of thrombopoietin do not stimulate erythropoiesis, and that
physiologically increased levels of erythropoietn do not stimulate
thrombopoiesis. However, currently available, partially purified
preparations of erythropoietin and thrombopoietin may be capable of
stimulating both platelet and red cell production if used in sufficient
quantities.
Volume 48,
Issue 4,
pp. 547-558,
10/01/1976
Copyright © 1976 by The American Society of Hematology
