Mechanism of action of androgens on erythropoiesis

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Abstract
The effect of androgens on erythropoiesis has been studied in normal and hypoxic or transfused polycythe-mic mice. In normal mice chronic administration, for 7-60 days, resulted in a moderate but significant increase of red cell mass. Administration of testosterone propionate or nandrolone phenylpropionate during 1 week increased the incorporation of Fe59 into red cells whereas this stimulating effect decreased progressively during chronic administration from 1 up to 5 weeks. No erythropoietic response was elicited following androgen administration in transfused polycythemic mice. It was concluded that androgen do not induce differentiation of stem cells into normoblasts. From the fact that the response of polycythemic hypoxic mice to a single dose of exogenous erythropoietin or to a short hypoxic stimulation (endogenous erythropoietin) is similarly amplified by testosterone, it is inferred that androgens do not enhance the production of erythropoiethin but either potentiate the action of erythropoietin by increasing the number of stem cells or their sensitivity toward erythropoietin, either influence a step in erythropoiesis posterior to stem cell differentiation.