l-Arginine supplementation enhances antioxidant activity and erythrocyte integrity in sickle cell anaemia subjects

SummaryThe effect of oral, low-dose l-arginine supplementation (1 g/day for 6 weeks) on antioxidant activity, haematological parameters and osmotic fragility of red blood cells was investigated in sickle cell disease sufferers. Twenty eight sickle cell anaemia subjects were recruited for the study. Five millilitres of blood was withdrawn from an ante-cubital vein for the estimation of plasma arginine concentration ([R]), total antioxidant enzymes (TAE) activity, malondialdehyde concentration ([MDA]), RBC count, [Hb], PCV, MCHC, MCV, MCH, percent irreversibly sickled cells (%ISC)) and osmotic fragility of red blood cells in the subjects. l-arginine supplementation increased [R] (p < 0.001), TAE activity (p < 0.05) and MCV (<0.05) but reduced plasma [MDA], MCHC, MCH and %ISC (p < 0.001, respectively). Δ[R] correlated positively with ΔTAE (r = 0.8) and negatively with Δ[MDA] (r = −0.7) and Δ%ISC (r = −0.5). Also ΔTAE activity correlated negatively with Δ[MDA] (r = −0.7) and Δ%ISC (r = −0.6). Supplementation shifted the osmotic fragiligram to the right and reduced the concentrations of NaCl at which initial and complete lyses of erythrocytes occurred. Study showed that low-dose, oral l-arginine increased antioxidant activity, red blood cell resistance to osmotic lysis but reduced red cell density in SCD.