An Investigation into the Effects of Aminoguanidine Treatment on the Plasma and Blood of Free-fed and Dietary-restricted Rats

Abstract

An investigation has been made into the effect of oral aminoguanidine (50-60 mg kg-1 day-1) on the blood biochemistry of male Wistar rats which either had free access to food or were dietary-restricted (50% of the food consumed by the free access group). In control rats (i.e. without aminoguanidine treatment) three weeks of food restriction caused significant increases in plasma sodium and albumin and the erythrocyte count, haematocrit and haemoglobin. There were reductions in plasma calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase activity, urea, triglycerides, creatinine, glucose and the red cell volume. Similar effects of food restriction were observed in aminoguanidine-treated rats. Aminoguanidine ingestion in free-fed animals caused a reduction in plasma creatinine concentration. In dietary-restricted rats, aminoguanidine ingestion reduced plasma sodium and total plasma proteins (largely as a result of a decline in albumin), and increased plasma urea concentrations. Aminoguanidine was added to plasma of control rats in-vitro to determine whether it interfered with the assay of urea and creatinine. At concentrations of 0.1 to 10 mg mL-1, aminoguanidine had no effect on urea determinations. However, aminoguanidine significantly reduced the apparent concentration of plasma creatinine by between 7 to 81%. The changes in plasma analytes in aminoguanidine-treated rats may be indicative of minor hepatic perturbations or kidney function, but the data also imply that prior nutritional state is a determinant of aminoguanidine effects.