BA treatment caused an inflammatory anemia. (A) Administration of BA caused rapid development of anemia (n = 5/group/time point). (B) Interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels were elevated within 6 hours of BA treatment (n = 5/group/time point). (C) Serum hepcidin levels in mice from panel B were elevated by BA treatment. (D) BA treatment blunted response to ESA treatment. ESA (or saline control) was administered 1 day after BA (or saline control) and Hb response measured 1 week later. Control mice showed a significant increase in Hb, whereas BA-treated mice did not (n = 5/group). Horizontal bars indicate groups compared for statistical analysis. **P < .01; NS, no significance.