Effect of Erythropoietin on the Fetal Hemoglobin Synthesis in Nucleated Cells from Human Neonatal Cord Blood.

Abstract

In order to investigate the effect of erythropoietin (ESF) on the synthesis of fetal hemoglobin (Hb F), nucleated cells separated from human cord blood in neonatus were cultured in the medium containing ESF. Radio-active iron as a marker of heme synthesis or tritiated leucine as a marker of globin synthesis was added to the cultured medium, respectively. The following results were obtained. a) Heme synthesis was accelerated by ESF until 72 hours. There was a close relationship between dose of the added ESF and heme synthesis. b) Hb F synthesis as well as adult hemoglobin (Hb A) synthesis were accelerated by ESF. These results support that ESF has a relation to fetal hemoglobin synthesis and suggest there might be erythroid progenitor cells, which respond to ESF, in cord blood. Fetal Hb and adult Hb were separated from hemoglobins of red cells in cord blood by Zade-Oppen's method and the nature of these hemoglobin as fetal hemoglobin as well as adult hemoglobin were examined by alkali-denaturation method (Singer's method). Then Zade-Oppen's method to separate hemoglobin was proved to be relaiable.