New Experimental Anemic Model by Using a Nitrogen- Containing Bisphosphonate

Anemia is a pathological condition associated with various diseases including cancer, and is indicated by a reduction in erythrocyte numbers or the amount of hemoglobin in the peripheral blood. The analysis of changes in hematopoiesis during anemia is important to develop novel therapies and to understand hematopoietic ontogeny. We previously reported that injecting animals with Nitrogen-Containing Bisphosphonate (NBP), which is an inhibitor of osteoclastic bone resorption, decreased erythropoiesis in Bone Marrow (BM). Moreover, we induced severe anemia in a mouse model by injecting NBP in combination with Phenylhydrazine (PHZ), and embryonic type globin mRNA was detected in both the BM and the liver in this anemia model. In addition, wine-colored capsuled structures were unexpectedly observed in the abdominal cavity of this anemic mouse model, and active erythropoiesis was also observed in these structures. Here, we review recent insights into the pathogenic mechanisms underlying various forms of anemia that have been gained through our findings.