The effects of hemodialysis on blood glutamate levels in chronic renal failure: implementation for neuroprotection.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether hemodialysis (HD) is effective in lowering blood glutamate levels. In addition, we examined the effect of HD on glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) and glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) levels in the blood and described the rate and pattern of blood glutamate clearance during HD.


METHODS
Blood samples were taken from 45 patients with stage V chronic kidney disease immediately after initiation of HD and hourly, for a total of 5 blood samples. Samples were sent for determination of glutamate, glucose, GOT, GPT, hemoglobin, hematocrit, urea, and creatinine levels. A blood sample from 25 healthy volunteers without chronic renal failure was used as a control for the determination of baseline blood levels of glutamate, GOT, and GPT.


RESULTS
Glutamate and GPT levels in patients on HD were higher at baseline compared with healthy controls (P < .001). In the first 3 hours after HD, there was a decrease in blood glutamate levels compared with baseline levels (P < .00001). At the fourth hour, there was an increase in blood glutamate levels compared with the third hour (P < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
Hemodialysis may be a promising method of reducing blood glutamate levels.
Department of Nephrology, Soroka Medical Center and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Boris
B
Rogachev
Sharon
S
Ohayon
Amit
A
Saad
Victoria
V
Vorobiovsky
Benjamin F
BF
Gruenbaum
Akiva
A
Leibowitz
Matthew
M
Boyko
Yoram
Y
Shapira
Alla
A
Shnaider
Moshe
M
Zlotnik
Abed N
AN
Azab
Alexander
A
Zlotnik
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000410:Alanine Transaminase / Q000097:blood; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis
D018698:Glutamic Acid; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases; D000410:Alanine Transaminase