In vivo activity of recombinant human erythropoietin (rh-EPO) has been examined using polycythemic model in mice and acute hemorrhage model in rats. The number of reticulocytes in blood stream was increased after a single injection of rh-EPO depending on the dosage of rh-EPO in polycythemy model. It seemed that optimal dose of rh-EPO for polycythemic mice was around 1-10 U/kg. Rh-EPO also showed the effectiveness for increase of reticulocyte numbers both in male and female rats after bleeding. The number of reticulocytes and the change of hemoglobin concentration in the blood stream of normal rats has been examined after injection of rh-EPO. The maximum value of reticulocyte was observed on the 6th day of the injection in these normal rats. In addition, the increase of reticulocyte and the concentration of hemoglobin were dependent on the dosage of rh-EPO. The increase of hemoglobin concentration was continued to the 9th day after injection. In this study, the efficacy of rh-EPO was confirmed in both mice and rats.