Stimulating effect of erythropoietin on the release of dopamine and acetylcholine from the rat brain slice

We investigated the effects of erythropoietin (EPO) in rat hippocampal and striatal slices, where EPO receptors have been known to exist. EPO stimulat ed dopamine release from rat striatal slices. Acetylcholine (ACh) release f rom rat hippocampal slices was not affected by EPO, but high K+-induced ACh release was considerably enhanced by EPO. Nitric oxide (NO) production fro m the hippocampus and the striatum was not affected by EPO. NO-synthase act ivity was not changed by EPO in the hippocampus or the striatum. These resu lts suggest that EPO stimulates dopamine- and acetylcholine-release without affecting NO production. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.