title: The role of erythropoietin in myocardial protection: potential mechanisms and applications.
abstract: The glycoprotein erythropoietin was originally discovered as a principal regulator that promotes the survival, proliferation and differentiation of erythroid progenitor cells. Despite potentially detrimental effects, such as increased blood pressure and hyperviscosity, recombinant human erythropoietin has been demonstrated to be a safe drug, as millions of anemia sufferers have received it over the last decade as a form of treatment. Recently, erythropoietin receptors have been discovered in a variety of tissues, including the cardiovascular system, and erythropoietin has been demonstrated to have a beneficial effect in congestive heart failure patients with anemia. The purpose of this review is to summarize the pleiotropic cardioprotective effects of erythropoietin in the cardiovascular system and to evaluate its potential role as a biomarker in these disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. oshmulik@013.net.il
authors.forename: Shmuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schwartzenberg
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ben-Shoshan
authors.forename: Gad
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Keren
authors.forename: Jacob
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: George
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D017467:Receptors, Erythropoietin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D017467:Receptors, Erythropoietin; D004921:Erythropoietin