Article

L-arginine administration reverses anemia associated with renal disease.

Division of Hematology, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical School, Shimotsuke, Japan.
International Journal of Hematology (impact factor: 1.27). 09/2007; 86(2):126-9. DOI:10.1532/IJH97.06212 pp.126-9
Source: PubMed

ABSTRACT Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEpo) has proved to be remarkably safe and effective for the treatment of anemia. Despite the use of rhEpo, concerns about its cost, the need for frequent parenteral administration, and the development of anti-Epo antibodies have prompted the development of improved agents to rescue anemia. Patients with anemia associated with renal disease are usually treated by intravenous or subcutaneous rhEpo administration; however, some patients do not respond well to rhEpo, because of the presence of Epo antibody or other unknown reasons. A new, orally administered drug is needed as an economical and effective method to treat such patients. We administered 1.3 g/day of L-arginine to 8 elderly patients with anemia associated with renal disease. All 8 patients responded to the treatment with increases in hemoglobin levels. Six of the patients showed improved renal function. There were no significant adverse effects. Our data show that oral administration of 1.3 g/day of L-arginine significantly improves Epo production and reverses anemia without adverse effects in elderly patients who have anemia associated with renal disease and are in the predialysis state of chronic renal failure.

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    Article: Nitric oxide pros and cons: The role of L-arginine, a nitric oxide precursor, and idebenone, a coenzyme-Q analogue in ameliorating cerebral hypoxia in rat.
    Nayira A Abdel Baky, Zeenat F Zaidi, Amal J Fatani, Mohamed M Sayed-Ahmed, Hazar Yaqub
    [show abstract] [hide abstract]
    ABSTRACT: Evidence exists that nitric oxide (NO) may mediate both protective and pathological responses during brain hypoxia (HP). Reactive oxygen species have also been implicated in the pathophysiological response of the brain tissues to HP. Therefore, this study investigated whether a NO precursor, l-arginine (l-arg), a free radical scavenger, idebenone (ID), and their combination would reduce neurological injury resulting from hemic hypoxia (HP) in rats. Adult male Wistar albino rats were injected with sodium nitrite (60 mg/kg, s.c.) to establish hemic hypoxia. ID (100 mg kg(-1), i.p.) and/or l-arg (100 mg kg(-1), i.p.) were administrated 24 and 1h prior to sodium nitrite intoxication, respectively. Hypoxia significantly decreased hemoglobin concentration, while significantly increased serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine phosphokinase (CPK), total nitrate/nitrite, sialic, and uric acids concentrations. Moreover, brain lipid peroxides were significantly enhanced, while reduced glutathione, l-ascorbic acids, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) contents, and the activities of catalase and superoxide dismutase, were significantly reduced in the brain tissue. Pretreatment with either ID or l-arg altered the majority of the above-mentioned biochemical changes in hypoxic rats. Additionally, the combination of these two agents significantly reduced injury marker enzyme activities as well as serum sialic, and uric acids level (P>0.05 vs. control). Moreover, this combination exerted a synergistic antioxidant effect by blocking the induction of lipid peroxidation, preserving brain energy (ATP) content, and greatly reducing the hypoxic alterations in brain enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. Histopathological examination of the brain tissue supported these biochemical findings. This study showed that ID and l-arg were capable of reducing neurological injury following HP in rat, and support the idea of the usefulness of l-arg and ID as prophylaxis from hypoxic brain injury.
    Brain research bulletin 08/2010; 83(1-2):49-56. · 2.18 Impact Factor
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Keywords

8 elderly patients
 
8 patients
 
adverse effects
 
anemia
 
anti-Epo antibodies
 
chronic renal failure
 
effective method
 
elderly patients
 
Epo antibody
 
frequent parenteral administration
 
hemoglobin levels
 
oral administration
 
orally
 
Recombinant human erythropoietin
 
renal disease
 
renal function
 
rescue anemia
 
significant adverse effects
 
subcutaneous rhEpo administration
 
unknown reasons