Serum erythropoietin titers during prolonged bedrest; relevance to the "anaemia" of space flight.

The overall objective of these studies was to test the hypothesis that the suppression of erythropoiesis, which occurs during both spaceflight and bedrest, was mediated by reduction in circulating levels of erythropoietin. In each of two 7-day studies, groups of subjects were exposed to either horizontal or 6 degrees head-down tilt bedrest and no evidence was obtained to suggest that the erythropoietic effects were dependent on the angle of recumbency. An additional study involved six men who were exposed to horizontal bedrest for 28 days. Serum erythropoietin titers were not significantly depressed in any of the subjects but total red cell volume was decreased. Absolute increases in red cell numbers and reductions in plasma volume both elevate the haematocrit, but our data suggest that the mechanism of erythrosuppression in these two instances may be different.