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. 2009 Jun 26;5(6):e1000416. doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1000416

Figure 7. Predicted RBC age distributions.

Figure 7

Prediction of circulating RBC age distribution just before, just after, and at various days after, PHZ treatment for mouse 6. The black line shows the estimated median age distribution and the grey region the 95% posterior predictive interval calculated from the samples of the posterior distribution of the model consisting of hypotheses A1, B1, C1, D1, E1. On day 0 the age distribution is in equilibrium made up of about 1% reticulocytes. All RBCs are aged with PHZ treatment causing an approximately 30% drop in RBC concentration, and a higher than normal clearance rate for about 7 days. Anaemia induces early release of reticulocytes from bone marrow (day 5) and increased reticulocyte production. Random clearance of RBCs prevents a large drop in RBC concentration about 50 days after PHZ treatment (day 40). The system returns to equilibrium after about day 60.