QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Okano, M. Articles by Sasaki, R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Okano, M. Articles by Sasaki, R.

Protein Deficiency Impairs Erythropoiesis in Rats by Reducing Serum Erythropoietin Concentration and the Population Size of Erythroid Precursor Cells¹

Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606, Japan

Erythropoietin (EPO), a glycoprotein produced mainly by the kidney, is the major physiological regulator of erythropoiesis. We developed a sensitive and rapid ELISA for measurement of rat serum EPO with two monoclonal antibodies that recognize different epitopes. To understand the mechanism by which erythropoiesis is impaired in rats deficient in dietary protein, we investigated the levels of the immunoreactive EPO (iEPO) in serums and erythroid precursor cells in hemopoietic tissues during protein deprivation. The iEPO level of 32-d-old rats fed a protein-free diet was lowered to one-third that of rats fed 20% casein at 6 h after protein deprivation began. Protein deprivation decreased the number of EPO-responsive cells in spleen. These results indicate that the impairment of erythropoiesis during protein deficiency is caused by the decrease in serum EPO and the subsequent reduction of the population size of erythroid precursor cells in spleen.

KEY WORDS: • erythropoietin • rats • protein deprivation • erythropoiesis • erythroid precursor cells

¹ Supported by grants-in-aid from the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of Japan, and by a grant from Shorai Foundation for Science and Technology.

² Current address: Kissei Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Matsumoto City, Nagano, 399 Japan.

³ To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Manuscript received 20 August 1991. Revision accepted 7 February 1992.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y. Yasuda, Y. Fujita, S. Masuda, T. Musha, K. Ueda, H. Tanaka, H. Fujita, T. Matsuo, M. Nagao, R. Sasaki, et al. Erythropoietin is involved in growth and angiogenesis in malignant tumours of female reproductive organs Carcinogenesis, November 1, 2002; 23(11): 1797 - 1805. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]