Erythropoietin-producing cells in the liver of ICR-derived glomerulonephritis (ICGN) mice.

The ICR-derived glomerulonephritis (ICGN) mouse is an appropriate model for anemia associated with chronic renal disorder (CRD). Insufficient renal production of erythropoietin (EPO) induces the anemia associated with CRD. EPO mRNA is expressed in both kidneys and liver of progressing-stage ICGN mice. Hypoxic stimulation induced the EPO mRNA expression in the liver as well as in the kidneys of ICGN mice. The localization of EPO-producing cells in the liver remains controversial. Present study using an amplified in situ hybridization technique identified that nonparenchymal cells were the source of hepatic EPO production in ICGN mice under both normoxia and hypoxia.