ERYTHROPOIETIN PRODUCTION BY INTERSTITIAL-CELLS OF HYPOXIC MONKEY KIDNEYS

Previous studies which demonstrated that interstitial cells of the per itubular capillary bed of the kidneys are the site of erythropoietin ( Epo) production have been performed in non-primate species. In this st udy, kidneys from adult rhesus monkeys exposed to 18 h hypoxia (0.42 a tm) with high serum (5685 mU/ml) and kidney (814 mU/g, includes serum EPO in the kidney) levels of Epo were compared with a kidney from a no nhypoxic normal rhesus monkey. Localization of Epo mRNA by in situ hyb ridization was carried out with either anti-sense or sense RNA probes generated from a 645 base pair KpnI-BglII fragment of a monkey Epo cDN A. Epo mRNA was demonstrated only in interstitial cells in the peritub ular capillary bed of the hypoxic and normal monkey kidneys utilizing the antisense probe. The finding that the same type of cell that produ ces EPO in mice, rats and sheep also produces EPO in a higher primate species strongly supports the contention that renal interstitial cells also produce EPO in the human.