Objective    To observe the effect of erythropoietin（EPO) pretreatment on the cardiac hemodynamic indexes and to explore the possible mechanism.     Methods    Sixty male adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into 2 groups: control group and EPO pretreatment group (EPO group )

each with 30 rats. recombinant human erythr

opoietin (RHuEPO) of 5 000 U/kg was injected peritoneally to the rats in EPO group while the same volume of saline to the control group. In 24 h after the pretreatment

all the designed indexes in this study were examined 15 rats of each group. The other 15 rats in each group were insulted with hypoxia (O

2

7%) for 12 h and then treated with normoxia for 2 h.  Blood and myocardium were collected from all the rats. Serum myocardial enzyme activity

apoptosis and cardiac hemodynamics were detected.     Results    No difference was found in myocardial enzyme activity

apoptosis and cardiac hemodynamics between the 2 groups before hypoxia/reoxygenation injury (H/R)(P0.05).  After H/R

myocardial enzyme activity

apoptotic rate and the expression of caspase-3 protein were much lower in EPO group than in the control group (P0.05

P0.01)

At 30

60 and 120 min of reoxygenation

+dp/dt

max

was higher in EPO group than in control group (P0.05)

  and at 30 min and 60 min LVSP in EPO group was higher than that in the control group (P0.05).      Conclusion    EPO pretreatment can improve the maintenance and recovery of cardiac function in rats with H/R

which may be related to the anti-apoptotic effect of EPO in myocardium.