VEGF-induced Epo promotes early to intermediate erythroblast differentiation. (A) FACS analysis for assessing erythroid progenitor differentiation. After exclusion of cells positive for other lineages, the Ter119hi population is gated to identify erythroid progenitors. Forward scatter (FSC) and CD71 expression of the Ter119hiLin- population subdivides erythroid progenitors according to their differentiation status into EryA (basophilic erythroblasts), EryB (late basophilic erythroblasts), and EryC (orthochromatic erythroblasts/reticulocytes). (B) Representative FACS density plots of erythroid progenitor subsets at increasing VEGF levels and in VEGF ON–OFF in BM (upper panel) and spleen (lower panel). (C and D) BM (C) and spleen (D) erythroid progenitor subset frequencies were enumerated at increasing circulating VEGF levels (n = 5–9 animals per group). Results were combined from three independent experiments. *, P < 0.05; **, P < 0.01 by unpaired two-tailed Student’s t test in which each VEGF range was compared with control. Error bars represent SEM.