Erythropoietic Function in Dilution Anemia

For a period of four days, four rabbits received intravenously at 12-hour intervals large amounts (25 ml./Kg.) of a 6 per cent solution of dextran. This caused a pronounced dilution anemia. However, no increase in erythropoietic activity was observed despite the reduced oxygen content of each unit of arterial blood.

Since hypervolemia and dextran per se were found not to interfere with red cell production it was concluded that the increased cardiac output in dilution anemia compensates for the reduction in the oxygen content of each unit of arterial blood.

Consequently, the stimulus to erythropoietic function must depend on the tissue tension of oxygen rather than on the oxygen content of arterial blood.