Ferric chondroitin 6-sulfate (Condrofer): a new potent antianaemic agent with a favourable pharmacokinetic profile.

One and 3 mg/kg iron as Condrofer**, a new soluble formulation of this metal, and 1 mg/kg iron as Proteoferrina*** or ferritin were given orally for 4 weeks to male rats in which severe experimental anaemia had previously been induced (by iron-deficient diet and repeated bleedings). Haematological (erythrocyte count, haemoglobin, haematocrit, mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular haemoglobin, reticulocytes and leukocytes) and blood chemistry (sodium, potassium, iron and total protein) parameters were checked weekly and at the end of the drug administration period. Clinical and behavioral signs, body weight, food intake and necroscopic observations were also recorded. Condrofer time- and dose-dependently improved the general blood picture, the clinical data and the autoptic findings to the point of making these animals significantly approach control rats, save for one parameter, sideremia, which after 4 weeks of treatment remained lower than normal. The most plausible explanation would seem that the severe anaemia interfered both with the physiological iron storage and with the iron-dependent mitochondrial enzymatic systems. Iron (1 mg/kg) daily as Proteoferrina or ferritin was significantly less effective than when this metal was administered as Condrofer, since all the haematological parameters and the clinical, behavioral signs and necroscopic observations were less favourable. The more complete reversal of anaemia in the rats that received Condrofer is, most probably, due to the higher bioavailability of iron administered under this formulation, as demonstrated by iron kinetics after equidoses of iron as Condrofer and Proteoferrina.