EPO reduces the inflammatory profile of macrophages <i>in vitro</i>.

<p>Splenocytes from Lewis rats were cultivated with irradiated allogenic Wistar splenocytes and T cell proliferation was measured by ³H-thymidine incorporation in the presence of increasing concentrations of EPO (0–200 IU/ml) in quadruplicates. One representative experiment is depicted out of three (A). Supernatants of the proliferation were collected after 72 hours and levels of IFN-gamma, IL-10 and TGF-beta were determined using ELISA (B). Peritoneal macrophages from 2 naïve rats were plated in triplicates in the presence of EPO (0–200 IU/ml) and cytokines were measured via ELISA. Depicted is one representative experiment out of three (C). Peritoneal macrophages from EAN rats at the peak of the disease were cultivated with EPO (0–100 IU/ml) and cytokines were measured. Dots represent mean cytokine levels of single animals determined in duplicates (D). Asterisks indicate significance (mean ± SEM, * p<0.05; ** p<0.01; *** p<0.001); student's <i>t</i> test.