Decreased binding of drugs and dyes to plasma proteins from rats with acute renal failure: effects of ureter ligation and intramuscular injection of glycerol.

1 The decreased binding of drugs and dyes to plasma proteins from male and female rats with acute renal failure has been investigated using equilibrium dialysis at 37 degrees C. 2 Acute renal failure induced by bilateral ligation of the ureters produced a greater than threefold increase in the unbound fraction of o-methyl red relative to normal rat plasma. Unbound dye concentration in plasma from sham-operated control rats was also significantly increased but to a lesser extent. 3 Glycerol-induced acute renal failure produced a significant increase in the unbound fractions of o-methyl red, methyl orange, bromocresol green (BCG), 2-(4'-hydroxybenzeneazo) benzoic acid (HABA), phenytoin and salicylic acid. A marginally significant increase in unbound warfarin concentration was observed. 4 Glycerol-induced renal failure had no effect on total plasma protein concentration and experiments with o-methyl red and salicylic acid indicated that a direct effect of glycerol was not responsible for the diminution of binding. 5 Glycerol-induced acute renal failure, which produced decreases in drug and dye binding similar to those reported for human uraemic plasma, provides a convenient non-surgical animal model for the investigation of this phenomenon.