Related Experiment Videos
Dimethylarginines in chronic renal failure.
N Wahbi1, R N Dalton, C Turner
1Department of Chemical Pathology, Guy's, King's and St Thomas' Medical and Dental School, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospitals, London SE1 7EH, UK.
Journal of Clinical Pathology
|May 29, 2001
Summary
Serum concentrations of asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) are elevated in patients with renal failure. Hemodialysis effectively reduces ADMA levels, suggesting its role in kidney function and NO regulation.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Nephrology
- Cardiovascular Research
Background:
- Nitric oxide (NO) is a critical mediator in physiological functions.
- Endogenous L-arginine analogues, such as asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), are believed to regulate NO production in vivo.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of renal function on serum ADMA and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) levels.
- To assess the effect of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis on these arginine analogues.
Main Methods:
- Serum samples analyzed from healthy controls, patients with chronic renal failure (conservative treatment, hemodialysis, CAPD), and post-hemodialysis.
- Solid-phase cation exchange extraction followed by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) for quantification.
Main Results:
- Significantly elevated serum ADMA and SDMA concentrations observed in renal failure patients compared to controls.
- Hemodialysis led to a substantial decrease in both ADMA (36%) and SDMA (60%) levels.
- No significant difference in serum arginine concentrations across study groups.
Conclusions:
- Renal failure is associated with increased serum ADMA concentrations.
- Hemodialysis is an effective method for reducing elevated ADMA and SDMA levels in patients with renal impairment.