L-arginine reduces glomerular basement membrane collagen N epsilon-carboxymethyllysine in the diabetic db/db mouse.
The present study was carried out to examine the effect of L-arginine on advanced stage nonenzymatic glycosylation end products in glomerular basement membrane (GBM) as represented by carboxymethyllysine (CML). Twelve db/db mice were given a solution containing a daily dosage of L-arginine of 50 mg/kg body weight orally. Twelve db/db mice served as controls. At the end of the 4-months study period treated animals had significantly lower concentrations of CML (0.084 +/- 0.008, 0.071-0.098 nmol/mumol OH-proline; mean +/- SD, range, p less than 0.01) compared to untreated controls (0.11 +/- 0.018, 0.095-0.152 nmol/mumol OH-proline). In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between GBM thickness and concentrations of CML (r = 0.86, p less than 0.001). We conclude that reduction of CML concentrations in treated db/db mice possibly reflects a beneficial effect of L-arginine on advanced stage nonenzymatic glycosylation end-products in GBM. In addition, measuring CML concentrations might have future clinical implications as a noninvasive parameter for basement membrane thickening.
Weninger
M
M
Department of Pediatrics, University of Vienna, Austria.
Xi
Z
Z
Lubec
B
B
Szalay
S
S
Höger
H
H
Lubec
G
G
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003094:Collagen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism*; D006031:Glycosylation / Q000187:drug effects; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008239:Lysine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains
C048496:N(6)-carboxymethyllysine; D003094:Collagen; D001120:Arginine; D008239:Lysine