The elimination efficacy of chelating agent deferiprone on urinary copper, zinc and manganese in aluminum-loaded rabbits

摘要

It has been proposed that aluminum is a contributing factor to several neu-rodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer disease. To protect patients from the consequences of aluminum toxicity, aluminum-chelating agents have been introduced in clinical practice. This test is to determine the effect of oral l,2-dimethyl-3-hydroxypyrid-4-one (deferiprone) on urinary copper, zinc and manganese level while it eliminates aluminum in Al-loaded rabbits. Thirty New Zealand white rabbits weighing 2.4 - 2.7 kg were treated with 600 mumol Al/kg/day (as the sul-fate) 5 times weekly for 2 weeks by subcutaneous (s.c.) injection. Rabbits were randomly divided into 5 groups: control, DE-1, DE-2, DE-3 and DE-4. Two days after the last injection, the chelator test began. Three hours after the physiologic saline infusion and urine collection began, sterile water, deferiprone (500 umol/kg), deferiprone (750 umol/kg), deferiprone (1,000 umol/kg), deferiprone (1,000 umol/kg) + ascorbic acid (520 umol/kg) were given intragastrically (i.g.), respectively, after 3 hours saline infusion. Urine was collected hourly for the next 6 h and analyzed for aluminum and essential elements copper, zinc and manganese using flame- or graphite furnace technique of atomic absorption spec-trometry. Our results showed that deferiprone could highly increase aluminum output. Urinary excretion of copper, zinc and manganese was not affected by deferiprone administration. The co-administration of oral deferiprone with ascorbic acid did not cause a variety in urinary trace elements excretion.