Erythropoietin ameliorates anemia of cisplatin induced acute renal failure

Abstract

Daily intraperitoneal injections of recombinant human erythropoietin (EPO) were administered for 9 days to Sprague-Dawley rats with cisplatin induced acute renal failure (ARF/ EPO group). A group of placebo treated rats with cisplatin induced acute renal failure (ARF group) was used as the control group. As expected, administration of cisplatin to rats caused ARF that was marked by a significant rise in serum creatinine and a significant reduction in creatinine clearance in both groups. The placebo treated ARF animals showed a significant fall in hematocrit, erythrocyte count, reticulocyte count, and hemoglobin concentration. These abnormalities were averted by EPO therapy in the ARF/EPO group. Therefore, when compared to the ARF group, the ARF/EPO group had higher 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 levels (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 higher in the ARF/EPO group (reflecting exogenously administered hormone) than in the ARF group, which showed undetectable values. The results suggest that anemia in rats with cisplatin induced ARF can be corrected by EPO therapy.