Modulation of erythropoiesis in rat bone marrow erythroblastic islands by cyclooxygenase inhibition

We designed our study to explore how the inhibition of prostaglandins (PGs) could affect erythropoiesis in bone marrow erythroblastic islands (EIs). To this end, we used hypoxic-stimulated rats-hypobaric hypoxia (42.55 kPa/6 h)-pretreated or not with indomethacin (4 mg/kg/3 days). Blood sampling was done at 0 h, 24 h, and 72 h after hypoxia. The study included estimations of the plasma erythropoietin (EPO) level (by radioimmunoassay), peripheral blood, number of EI from classes I to V per femur, rate of immature cell's differentiation into erythroblasts, and rate of repeated participation of macrophages in new EI reconstruction. Plasma EPO rose significantly (p < 0.01) in all hypoxic rats: 40.5+/-10.15 mU/ml and 46.75+/-16.28 mU/ml and at 0 h versus 13.83+/-6.82 mU/ml in controls. An increased rate of cell differentiation into erythroblasts in EIs (p < 0.01), an enhanced reconstruction in involuted EIs, and a reduced number of maturing EIs (p < 0.01) were observed in all hypoxic animals. However, in indomethacin-pretreated rats, the stimulation of bone marrow erythropoiesis was better expressed. Our results favor the concept that PG inhibition does not attenuate the erythropoietic response to hypoxia and support the hypothesis about the important role of EI macrophages as a local regulator of bone marrow erythropoiesis.