In Vitro Erythropoietin Bioassay Based on ³H-Thymidine Incorporation into Spleen Cells from Phenylhydrazine Treated Mice

Abstract

An in vitro method for erythropoietin (Epo) bioassay was investigated, in which ³H-thymidine incorporation into spleen cells from phenylhydrazine treated mice was determined.
When test samples were assayed in the culture system, the assayable level ranged from 10 to 1,000 mU/ml. Dose-response curves for plasma were parallel to the Epo standard curve. Using this method, we determined plasma Epo titiers in 12 normal subjects, 12 patients with polycythemia vera and 13 patients with aplastic anemia. The Epo titers assayed by this method were well correlated with those of radioimmunoassay.
Since this method is sensitive, rapid and simple, it may be useful for Epo bioassay.