EPO and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency: In contrast, it has been reported that EPO-derived Helix B-surface peptide, which is non-erythrogenic, but retains other functions of EPO, improved obesity and insulin resistance without stimulating hematopoiesis, suggesting that improvement of insulin resistance by EPO in the present study would be, at least in part, independent of its hematopoietic effects [21].