EFFECT OF LIDOCAINE ON THE HEMATOPOIETIC PROPERTIES OF RECOMBINANT-HUMAN-ERYTHROPOIETIN IN THE UREMIC RAT

Subcutaneous injections of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) p roduce considerable pain which can result in noncompliance. As a prelu de to an investigation of the possible use of local anesthetics as add itives to subcutaneous rHuEPO, we examined the effect of the addition of lidocaine on the erythropoietic properties of rHuEPO. Two weeks aft er 5/6 nephrectomy, 22 rats were randomly assigned to the following gr oups: normal saline, rHuEPO, lidocaine, and rHuEPO plus lidocaine. Inj ections were given three times a week for 2 weeks. No change in hemato crit was observed in the saline and lidocaine groups. The hematocrit o f the rHuEPO rats increased from 44.5 +/- 1.4% (mean +/- SD) to 61.6 /- 2.1% (P < 0.0005), and that of the rHuEPO plus lidocaine group from 42.8 +/- 4.3% to 63.9 +/- 3.0% (P < 0.005), with no difference betwee n the groups. We conclude that the combination of rHuEPO plus lidocain e is as effective as rHuEPO alone in increasing the hematocrit of rats with chronic renal failure.