ERYTHROPOIETIN AMELIORATES ANEMIA OF CISPLATIN-INDUCED ACUTE-RENAL-FAILURE

Daily intraperitoneal injections of recombinant human erythropoietin ( EPO) were administered far 9 days to Sprague-Dawley rats with cisplati n induced acute renal failure (ARF. EPO group). A group of placebo tre ated rats with cisplatin induced acute renal failure (ARF group) was u sed as the control group. As expected, administration of cisplatin to rats caused ARF that was marked by a significant rise in serum creatin ine and a significant reduction in creatinine clearance in both groups . The placebo treated ARF animals showed a significant fall in hematoc rit, erythrocyte count, reticulocyte count, and hemoglobin concentrati on. These abnormalities were averted by EPO therapy in the ARF/EPO gro up. Therefore, when compared to the ARF group, the ARF/EPO group had h igher hematocrits (45.8 +/- 0.6% vs 36.1 +/- 0.7%, SEM), reticulocyte counts (7.7 +/- 0.3% vs 3.4 +/- 0.6%, SEM), erythrocyte counts (7.7 +/ - 0.2 X 10(12)/L vs 6.3 +/- 0.2 x 10(12)/L, SEM), and hemoglobin level s (16.6 +/- 0.3 g/dl vs 13.3 +/- 0.3 g/dl, SEM). The differences were all statistically significant (p < 0.05). Plasma EPO was found to be h igher in the ARF/EPO group (reflecting exogenously administered hormon e) than in the ARF group, which showed undetectable values. The result s suggest that anemia in rats with cisplatin induced ARF can be correc ted by EPO therapy.