These tools will no longer be maintained as of December 31, 2024. Archived website can be found here. PubMed4Hh GitHub repository can be found here. Contact NLM Customer Service if you have questions.


PUBMED FOR HANDHELDS

Search MEDLINE/PubMed


  • Title: Exogenous erythropoietin fails to augment hypoxic pulmonary hypertension in rats.
    Author: Petit RD, Warburton RR, Ou LC, Brinck-Johnson T, Hill NS.
    Journal: Respir Physiol; 1993 Mar; 91(2-3):271-82. PubMed ID: 8469850.
    Abstract:
    In two rat strains (H and M) with differing susceptibilities to chronic hypoxia we examined the role of polycythemia in the differing hypoxic pulmonary hemodynamic responses. We hypothesized that augmentation of hematocrit (Hct) during hypoxia in the resistant M strain would render cardiopulmonary responses similar to those obtained in the susceptible H strain. Administration of human recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) in doses of 100, 250 and 500 U.kg-1 s.c. thrice weekly for three weeks raised Hct similarly in both strains indicating that normoxic rats had similar sensitivities to EPO. In rats exposed to hypobaric hypoxia (0.5 atm) for 21 days, EPO (500 U.kg-1 thrice weekly) significantly increased Hct and whole blood viscosity as expected. Surprisingly, right ventricular (RV) to body weight (BW) ratio as an index of right ventricular hypertrophy (RVH) and RV peak systolic pressure did not increase in EPO-injected rats of either strain compared to hypoxic controls. Among hypoxic animals, Hct correlated highly with viscosity but not with RV/BW. We conclude, contrary to our hypothesis, that polycythemia does not appear to be responsible for the strain difference in RVH and pulmonary hypertension.
    [Abstract] [Full Text] [Related] [New Search]