Effect of Erythropoietin on Cytokine Production by Stem Cells

Abstract

Erythropoietin (EPO) is mainly used to stimulate erythropoiesis. Its cytoprotective effects upon other cells of the human body and animals were recently shown, in particular, anti-apoptotic effect was observed. EPO effect upon the cells is mediated by interaction with erythropoietin receptor, with a complex forming a heterodimeric bond with β-common chain (CD131). In the present work, we studied the changes in erythropoietin receptor expression, and production spectrum of biologically active molecules in bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNC) of patients with coronary heart disease. The flow cytometric assays showed that short-term incubation of BM-MNC with erythropoietin caused increased expression of the erythropoietin receptors on hematopoietic stem cells and tended to reduce the number of endothelial progenitor cells carrying the erythropoietin receptors. Solid-phase enzyme immunoassay in conditioned media from BM-MNC revealed that long-term (72 hours) exposure of BM-MNC to erythropoietin promoted increased production of IL-1β, PDGF-AB, and Epo, if compared to the basal production level (p < 0.05). Short-term incubation of BM-MNC with erythropoietin (60 minutes) caused a significant increase in the IL-1β, PDGF-AB and CXCL-12 / SDF-1α production levels, as well as significant reduction in the IL-10 production levels compared to the basal levels (p < 0.05).