The effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) on red blood cell (
RBC) rheological properties were investigated in rats. Rats received intram
uscular injections of 150 U/kg/d rhEPO for 5 d, following which blood sampl
es were obtained 1, 5 or 10 d later. RBC deformability was assessed by dete
rmining cell transit times through 5-mu m micropores (CTA) and RBC shape re
covery time constants via photometry, aggregation in plasma and dextran was
measured by photometry and RBC electrophoretic mobility was determined in
a cylindrical electrophoresis system. RBC aggregation was found to be signi
ficantly decreased on day 5 after rhEPO treatment (P < 0.05), yet was uncha
nged from control on days 1 and 10. Mean RBC micropore transit times remain
ed unchanged, but the distributions of transit times were altered; compared
with control, the 5th percentiles on both days 1 and 5 were decreased and
the 95th percentile on day 1 was elevated. Electrophoretic mobility of RBCs
in phosphate-buffered saline was significantly increased on day 5 after rh
EPO treatment (P < 0.05), with mobility measurements in dextran 500 (MW = 5
00 kDa) solutions suggesting that the cells' surface properties related to
the formation of a 'depletion layer' may be altered on day 1. These results
indicate that the rheological behaviour of RBC as a consequence of rhEPO t
reatment are temporal and are affected by the presence of reticulocytes as
well as by the average age of the circulating cells.