Role of erythropoietin in 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene induction of acute chromosome aberration and leukemia in the rat.

The incidence of chromosome aberrations in rat bone marrow, examined 6 hr after the administration of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene, was significantly enhanced by induction of anemia 0-48 hr before the carcinogen treatment and was suppressed by induction of polycythemia. The suppressive influence of polycythemia was reversed by sheep erythropoietin injected shortly before or after the carcinogen injection; this suppressive effect was proportional to the dose of erythropoietin used. These data suggest that erythropoietin is essential to make bone-marrow cells susceptible to chromosome aberrations with 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene. The incidence of carcinogen-induced leukemia was also increased by anemia and suppressed by polycythemia induction.