Erythrocyte nitric oxide metabolism in patients with chronic renal failure.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to investigate arginine-nitric oxide pathway in chronic renal failure (CRF) and to establish erythrocyte nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and arginase (ARG) activities in patients with CRF.


METHODS
NOS and ARG activities were measured in erythrocytes from 30 patients with CRF and 12-control subjects.


RESULTS
Erythrocyte NOS activity was found to be significantly lower and ARG activity higher in patients with CRF compared with controls. No differences were, however, found between patients with and without hemodialysis. A negative correlation (r = -0.7) was established between ARG and NOS activities in erythrocytes from patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Results suggest that erythrocyte NO production is diminished in patients with CRF, possibly due to decreased NOS and increased ARG activities.
Durak
I
I
Department of Biochemistry, Ankara University Medical Faculty, Turkey. durak@dialup.ankara.edu.tr
Oztürk
H S
HS
Elgün
S
S
Cimen
M Y
MY
Yalçin
S
S
D001120:Arginine / Q000378:metabolism; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase / Q000378:metabolism
D009569:Nitric Oxide; D001120:Arginine; D019001:Nitric Oxide Synthase