REDUCED AMINOLEVULINIC DEHYDRASE ACTIVITY WITH INCREASED BLOOD PORPHYRINS IN EXPERIMENTAL CHRONIC-RENAL-FAILURE

In the absence of anemia, rats with nephrectomy-induced renal failure displayed a reduced activity of erythrocyte aminolevulinate dehydrase, increased blood porphyrin levels, and a plasma capacity to inhibit th e activity of the erythrocyte aminolevulinate dehydrase in vitro, Even though it did increase hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, treatment wi th erythropoietin had no effect on the derangements of porphyrin metab olism. No abnormalities of the heme pathway were observed in liver tis sue. Experimental chronic renal failure reproduced the same abnormalit ies of porphyrin metabolism usually detected in patients with end-stag e renal disease.