Thesis (M.Sc.) - Cairo University - Faculty of Medicine - Department of Physiology

Cardiomyopathy is a common chronic complication associated with diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Erythropoietin (EPO) was reported as a broad spectrum cardioprotective agent. We aim to compare between the effect of long term administration of EPO in prevention or delaying development of diabetic or uremic cardiomyopathy. Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal (IP) injection of 65mg/kg STZ. Uremia was induced by 5/6 subtotal nephrectomy. EPO treated diabetic and uremic groups were injected with 1000 IU/kg of EPO (IP) twice weekly till the end of the study. At the 12th and the 16th for diabetic and uremic groups respectively heart tissues were collected for pathological examination. Result: compared to sham and EPO treated nephrectomy group the untreated nephrectomy group showed significant decrease in EF% & FS% by the 12th week with more decrease by the 16th week of the study, while EPO treated nephrectomy group show significant decrease in EF% & FS% only by the 16th week compared to sham group but still significantly higher than values of untreated nephrectomy group at the same time interval. Both EPO treated and untreated diabetic groups showed significant decrease in EF% & FS% by the 4th week with further more decrease up to the 12th week of the study. Pathological examination for hearts from EPO treated nephrectomy show significant increase in capillary numbering and decrease in area % of fibrosis compared to untreated nephrectomy and sham group.Conclusion: the beneficial role of EPO as a cardioprotective is differentially activated or inactivated according to the underlying cause of cardiomyopathy

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