Cephaloridine-induced nephrotoxicity in the Fischer 344 rat: proton NMR spectroscopic studies of urine and plasma in relation to conventional clinical chemical and histopathological assessments of nephronal damage

The acute toxicological effects of the nephrotoxic antibiotic cephaloridine (CPH, 0-1500 mg/kg) in male Fischer 344 (F344) rats, have been investigated over 48 h using clinical chemistry, histopathology and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy of urine and plasma. High field (400 and 600 MHz)1H NMR urinalysis revealed increased excretion of lactic acid, acetoacetate, alanine, valine, lysine, glutamine and glutamate and a severe, time-dependent glycosuria. A major change observed in urine of CPH-treated animals was the dose-dependent increase in HB which may relate to altered energy metabolism. CPH also caused dose-dependent decreases in the urinary excretion of hippurate, allantoin and protein (conventional assay). This abnormal metabolic profile is consistent with a functional defect in the S1/S2 regions of the proximal tubule, and was confirmed by histology post mortem. Functional changes observed included elevations in blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and urine flow rate (UFR) and dose-related decreases in urine osmolality. Spin-echo 1H NMR spectroscopic analysis of lyophilised plasma, reconstituted with 2H2O revealed an abnormal phase modulation of the methyl signal from free alanine and it is postulated that this is due to the release of transaminases from damaged tissue which via a reversible conversion to pyruvate, cause variable deuteration of alanine at the alpha-CH position. This observation suggests that 1H NMR spectral patterns are also dependent on the level of plasma transaminases and this may provide a novel indicator of tissue damage.