Effect of Erythropoietin on the Uptake and Utilization of Iron by Bone Marrow Cells in vitro∗

Summary Purified sheep erythropoietin was found to enhance iron uptake and heme synthesis when added to a suspension of rabbit bone marrow. The greatest difference between control suspensions and erythropoietintreated suspension was found after 45 hours incubation in suspensions with a low cell count, with a medium enriched with tissue culture fluid and with an atmospheric oxygen tension of 13% oxygen. The author is grateful for the able assistance of Yolanda Rivero.