The effects of butylated hydroxyanisole and butylated hydroxytoluene on renal function in the rat. II. Effects on organic acid and base transport

Abstract

A previous study indicated that administration of the food additives butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) or butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) adversely affects electrolyte balance in rats. This paper describes experiments in which organic ion transport was used as another index of renal function. Male rats were treated with BHA or BHT (500 mg/kg) or corn oil for 1, 2, 4 or 6 days. Twenty-four hours after the last dose of antioxidant the animals were killed, and the ability of renal cortical slices to accumulate a prototype organic acid, p-aminohippurate and a prototype organic base, N-methylnicotinamide, was determined. Organic acid transport was reduced following the first dose of either antioxidant and continued to decrease with BHT treatment, reaching a minimum after four doses. After the sixth day of treatment however, p-aminohippurate accumulation was comparable among BHA- or BHT-treated groups and control animals. N-Methylnicotinamide transport was not affected at any time by treatment with either antioxidant. The results demonstrate that these phenolic antioxidants have a specific, depressive action on organic transport. The attenuation of this effect despite continual administration of antioxidant may be related to induction of hepatic metabolism.