BINDING OF ALUMINUM TO PLASMA-PROTEINS - COMPARATIVE EFFECT OF DESFERRIOXAMINE AND DEFERIPRONE (L1)

Ultramicrofiltration techniques were used to study both the binding of aluminium to high molecular weight proteins in the presence of differ ent concentrations of desferrioxamine and deferiprone (LI) and the kin etics of aluminium release from human serum proteins, Human serum from healthy volunteers was used in all studies, The serum was spiked with aluminium (100 mu g/l) and different concentrations of chelators. Ult ramicrofiltration was performed with Amicon YMT membranes which had a nominal cut-off of 30 000 Da. Aluminium was measured by graphite furna ce atomic absorption spectrometry in total serum and ultrafiltered flu id, Deferiprone shows a higher capability to displace aluminium from s erum proteins (80%) than desferrioxamine (60%) at equivalent concentra tions of the chelators. The kinetics of the release were also faster f or deferiprone, taking 20 min to achieve its maximum effect, whereas, desferrioxamine achieved only 80% of its maximum effect after 2 h. Thu s, deferiprone could be an attractive alternative to desferrioxamine, as an aluminium chelator agent.