Once DCM was confirmed, the rats were divided randomly into the following groups: DCM without treatment, CEPO treatment at different dosages (500, 1,000 or 2,000 IU/kg) or recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) treatment (1,000 IU/kg), for a four-week short intervention or an eight-week long intervention protocol. This evidence concerns the gene EPO and familial dilated cardiomyopathy.