a hormone, secreted by the kidney in response to low levels of oxygen in the tissues, that increases the rate of erythropoiesis. It has been used as a performance-enhancing drug for athletes and racehorses
Abbreviation: EPO
erythropoietin in American English
(ɛˌrɪθroʊˈpɔɪətɪn)
noun
a hormone that stimulates erythropoiesis, produced mainly in the kidneys of higher organisms