Energy production and redox status of rat red blood cells after reticulocytosis induced by various treatments.

Stimulated erythropoiesis and reticulocytosis can be induced by daily bleeding, or by phenylhydrazine (PHZ) treatment. We compared the in vivo effects of PHZ and bleeding treatment on haematological, energy and redox status parameters in red blood cells (RBC) of rats. The results showed that all followed haematological parameters were significantly lower in bleeding, compared to PHZ-treated rats. PHZ induced even 2.58-fold higher reticulocytosis as compared to bleeding treatment. Although PHZ induced higher reticulocytosis, respiration intensity and energy production was lower than in bleeding-induced reticulocytes. These alterations were the consequence of increased superoxide anion and peroxynitrite concentrations in PHZ-treated rats. Bleeding treatment resulted in increased activity of an antioxidative enzyme, superoxide dismutase. In conclusion, differences in these two experimental models for reticulocytosis may be used as tools for appropriate pharmacological testing of redox-active substances considering energy and redox processes, as well as apoptosis pathways.