• Environmental Mutagens and Carcinogens
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.103-108
• /
• 1996

The mutagenic potential of rHu-EPO was evaluated using the short-term genotoxicity tests including Ames, chromosome aberration and micronuclei tests. In Salmonella typhimurium assay, rHu-EPO did not show any mutagenic response in the absence or presence of S9 mix with TA98, TA100, TA1535, and TA1537. In chromosome aberration test, rHu-EPO did not show any significant effect on Chinese Hamster Ovary(CHO) cells compared with control. In micronucleus test using male ICR mice, a dose-dependence increase in the frequency of micronucleuted polychromatic erythrocytes(MNPCEs) was observed in bone marrow cells treated with rHu-EPO. However, it was related to the secondary effect of rHu-EPO and the number of MNPCEs was equal to spontaneous frequency. These results indicate that rHu-EPO does not show any positive response in short-term genotoxicity assays.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.4 no.1
• /
• pp.68-77
• /
• 1996

Efficacy and general pharmacology of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHu-EPO), were investigated. Efficacy studies were conducted in normal, cisplatin- and acute hemorrhage-induced anemic rats. Normal and anemic animals were treated intravenously with rHu-EPO for 5 days and the changes in the numbers of red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct) and reticulocytes (Ret) were examined. In normal rats, rHu-EPO significantly increased RBC, Hb, Hct and Ret at doses of 50∼ 1250 IU/kg/day. Cisplatin-induced anemic rats showed significant increase of RBC, Hb, Hct and Ret in a dose-dependent manner after administration of rHu-EPO (50∼200 lU/kg/day). And in acute hemorrhage-induced anemic rats, rHu-EPO(4∼100 Iu/kg/day) accelerated recovery of anemia with significant increase in Ret. These changes disappeared gradually after cessation of the treatment. The general pharmacological effects of rHu-EPO were investigated in mice, rats, guinea-pigs, rabbits and cats. rHu-EPO had no influences on central nervous, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and blood coagulation system. It also had no influence on the contraction of phrenic nerve-diaphragm preparation. rHu-EPO produced significant increase of urine volume at a dose of 7000 IU/kg. These results suggest that rHu-EPO might be useful for the therapy of anemia without serious side effect.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.14 no.2
• /
• pp.399-414
• /
• 1997

There are several factors concerning to anemia in chronic renal failure patients. But when rHuEPO is used, most of these factors can be overcome, and the levels of hemoglobin are increased. However, about 10% of the renal failure patients represent rHuEPO-resistant anemia eventhough high dosage of rHuEPO. For these cases, desferrioxamine can be applied to correct rHuEPO resistnacy, and many mechanism of DFO are arguing. So we are going to know whether DFO can be applied to correct anemia of the such patients, how long its effect can be continued. The seven pateients as experimental group(DFO+EPO) who represent refractoriness to rHuEPO and the other seven patients as control group(EPO) were included. Experimental group had lower than 9 g/dL of hemoglobin levels despite high rHuEPO dosage (more than 4000U/Wk) and showed normocytic normochromic anemia. There were no definitve causes of anemia such as hemorrhage or iron deficiency. Control group patients had similar characteristics in age, mean dialysis duration but showed adequate response to rHuEPO. DFO was administered to experimental group for 8 weeks along with rHuEPO(the rHuEPO individual mean dosage had been determined by mean dosage of the previous 6 months. Total mean dosage; 123.5 U/Kg/Wk). After 8 weeks of DFO administration, the hemoglobin and rHuEPO dosage levels were checked for 15 consecutive months. It should be noted that the patients determined their own rHuEPO dosage levels according to hemoglobin levels and economic status. In conrol group, rHuEPO was administered by the same method used in experimental group without DFO through the same period. Fifteen months of observation period after DFO trial were divided as Time I(7 months after DFO trial) and Time II(8 months after Time I). The results are as follows: Before DFO trial, mean hemoglobin level of experimental group was 7.8 g/dL, which is similar level(p>0.05) to control group(mean Hb; 8.2 g/dL). But in experimental group, significantly(p<0.05) higher dosages of rHuEPO(mean; 123.5 U/Kg/Wk) than control group (mean; 41.6 U/Kg/Wk) had been used. It means resistancy to rHuEPO of experimental group. But after DFO trial, the hemoglobin levels of the experimental group were increased significantly(p<0.05), and these effect were continued to Time II.(Time I; mean 8.6g/dL, Time II; mean 8.6g/dL) The effects of DFO to hemoglobin were continued for 15 months after DFO trial with similar degree through Time I, Time II. Also, rHuEPO dosages used in the experimental group were decreased to similar levels of the control group after DFO trial and these effect were also continued for 15 months(Time I; mean 48.1 U/Kg/Wk. Time II; mean 51.8 U/Kg/Wk). In the same period, hemoglobin levels and rHuEPO dosages used in the control group were not changed significantly. Notibly, hemoglobin increment and rHuEPO usage decrement in experimental group were showed maxilly in the 1st month after DFO trial. That is, after the use of DFO, erythopoiesis was enhanced with a reduced rHuEPO dosage. So we think rHuEPO reisistancy can be overcome by DFO therapy. In conclusion, the DFO can improve the anemia caused by chronic renal failure at least over 1 year, and hence, can reduce the dosage of rHuEPO for anemia correction. Additional studies in order to determine the mechanism of DFO on erythropoiesis and careful attention to potential side effects of DFO will be needed.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.309-318
• /
• 1996

This study was conducted to investigate the subacute intravenous toxicity of rHu-EPO in Sprague-Dawley rats. rHu-EPO was daily administered to male and female rats for 30 days with different dose levels(100, 500, 2,500 unit/ kg). After the administration period of 30 days, 5 males and 5females rats per each dose group were assigned for recovery period of additional 30 days. There were no clinical signs compared with control group but slight decrease in spontaneous motor activities and locomotions were observed at high dose groups of males and females. In males, feed consumption was reduced at 500 unit/kg and body weight gain was retarded. In the administration sites of tail, focal congestion was observed in a few animals treated with rHu-EPO. No deaths were occurred during the course of study. In hematological examination. a significant increase of hemoglobin and hematocrit was observed in the males and females rats receiving high dose of rHu-EPO. rHu-EPO administration for 30 days showed a marked decrease in glucose concentration. At the highest dose groups, there was a significant incerase in the weights of spleens in both sexes. but this was considered to be related to its pharmacological activity. These results indicate that rHu-EPO does not induce any significant toxic effect on Sprague-Dawley rats for 30 days.

• Neonatal Medicine
• /
• v.16 no.2
• /
• pp.221-233
• /
• 2009

Purpose: Erythropoietin (EPO) has neuroprotective effects in many animal models of brain injury, including hypoxic-ischemic (HI) encephalopathy, trauma, and excitotoxicity. Current studies have demonstrated the neuroprotective effects of EPO, but limited data are available for the neonatal periods. Here in we investigated whether recombinant human EPO (rHuEPO) can protect the developing rat brain from HI injury via modulation of NMDA receptors. Methods: In an in vitro model, embryonic cortical neuronal cell cultures from Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats at 19-days gestation were established. The cultured cells were divided into five groups: normoxia (N), hypoxia (H), and 1, 10, and 100 IU/mL rHuEPO-treated (H+E1, H+ E10, and H+E100) groups. To estimate cell viability and growth, a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was done. In an in vivo model, left carotid artery ligation was performed on 7-day-old SD rat pups. The animals were divided into six groups; normoxia control (NC), normoxia Sham-operated (NS), hypoxia-ischemia only (H), hypoxia-ischemia+vehicle (HV), hypoxia-ischemia+rHuEPO before a HI injury (HE-B), and hypoxia-ischemia+rHuEPO after a HI injury (HE-A). The morphologic changes following brain injuries were noted using hematoxylin and eosin (H/E) staining. Real-time PCR using primers of subunits of NMDA receptors (NR1, NR2A, NR2B, NR2C and NR2D) mRNA were performed. Results: Cell viability in the H group was decreased to less than 60% of that in the N group. In the H+E1 and H+E10 groups, cell viability was increased to >80% of the N group, but cell viability in the H+E100 group did not recover. The percentage of the left hemisphere area compared the to the right hemisphere area were 98.9% in the NC group, 99.1% in the NS group, 57.1% in the H group, 57.0% in the HV group, 87.6% in the HE-B group, and 91.6% in the HE-A group. Real-time PCR analysis of the expressions of subunits of NMDA receptors mRNAs in the in vitro and in vivo neonatal HI brain injuries generally revealed that the expression in the H group was decreased compared to the N group and the expressions in the rHuEPO-treated groups was increased compared to the H group. Conclusion: rHuEPO has neuroprotective property in perinatal HI brain injury via modulation of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.330-333
• /
• 1996

Acute intravenous toxicities of rHu-EPO (recombinant human erythropoietin) were investigated in Sprague-Dawley rats. Seven days after administration of rHu-EPO, we examined the clinical signs, mortalities, body weight and etc. No clinical signs and mortalities of toxicity were observed in animals. Also, a significant change of body weights was not observed. These results suggest that LD$_{50}$ value was >25,000 unit/ kg in Sprague-Dawley rats and the acute intravenous toxicities of rHu-EPO were not significant.t.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.115-126
• /
• 1994

The recent availability of recombinant human erythropoietin has opened new perspectives in the management of a variety of anemias. Clinical trials have been initiated in several countries using different approaches and methodology. We randomly assigned twelve premature infants(gestational age < 32 week) at high risk of requiring erythrocyte transfusion for anemia of prematurity with either subcutaneous recombinant human erythropoietin or a placebo. Treatment with rHuEPO was initiated at a dose of 100 units/kg day for 3 days a week. All patients were given supplemental oral iron therapy at a dose of 3 mg/kg per day, as tolerated and oral vitamin E at a dose of 25 units per day. Treated and control babies did not differ with respect to weight, hematocrit, overall mean reticulocyte count or rate of growth respectively. However, reticulocyte counts increased earlier in patients given rHuEPO. We conclude that rHuEPO administration is safe and feasible at the dose studied.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.209-218
• /
• 2005

We investigated effects of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) on profiles of mRNA transcripts in 6 male cynomolgus (M. fascicularis) monkey's spleen for 4 weeks. Six monkeys, composed of control and treatment group (Control : M1, M2, M3: Treatment : M4, M5, M6) were intravenously administered 3 times per week without or with a dose of rHuEPO 2730 IU/0.1 ml/kg. After 4 weeks rHuEPO treatment, spleen was removed for RNA isolation. Splenic gene expression was assessed using Affymetrix U133A 2.0 arrays containing 18,400 transcripts and variants, including 14,500 well-characterized human genes. Gene expression pattern was very different between individuals even in same treatment. In rHuEPO treated groups showed number of genes were up- or down-regulated (M4: 79: M5: 48; M6: 73 genes). Six genes (epidermal growth factor receptor, calgranulin A, estrogen receptor binding site associated antigen, matrix metalloproteinase 19, zinc finger and BTB domain containing 16, progestin and adipoQ receptor) were commonly expressed in rHuEPO treated group. The different individual response could be major considering factor in monkey experiment. Further study is needed to clarify the different individual response to rHuEPO in molecular level. This study will be valuable in the fundamental understanding and validation of molecular toxicology for bio-generic drugs including rHuEPO in cynomolgus monkey.

• Toxicological Research
• /
• v.12 no.2
• /
• pp.305-308
• /
• 1996

The acute toxicity of rHu-EPO, newly developed recombinant erythropoietin, was tested in beagle dogs. rHu-EPO, when administered intravenously at 25, 000 IU/kg, did not cause any death. Also, rHu-EPO did not induce any change of body weight, food intake and clinical signs compared to controls. There were no significant changes in hematological, urine analysis and pathological examination. These results showed that rHu-EPO did not induce any remarkable toxic response and the $LD_50$ was greater than 25, 000 IU/kg in beagle dogs.

• Biomolecules & Therapeutics
• /
• v.4 no.4
• /
• pp.323-329
• /
• 1996

A recombinant human erythropoietin (rHu-EPO), was administered intravenously to beagle dogs at doses of 100, 500 and 2, 500IU/kg/day for 30 days. There were no significant clinical signs such as body weight, food intake, physical and opthalmic examination, urine analysis, etc. Any toxic response was not observed except for enlarged spleen and extramedullary hematopoiesis. No observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of rHu-EPO for 30 days was considered to be 100IU/kg/day in beagle dogs.