Glycated albumin: a marker of glycaemic status in rats with experimental diabetes.

Monoclonal antibodies that specifically recognize non-enzymatically glycated epitopes residing in albumin were used to measure levels of glycated albumin in the plasma of control and streptozotocin diabetic rats. Standard or sample was incubated with monoclonal antibody immobilized onto preactivated tubes, and binding was detected with enzyme-conjugated polyclonal antibody to rat albumin and substrate. Rat glycated albumin exhibited a linear dose response in the assay, and plasma samples contained between 30-100 micrograms/50 microliters. Levels were significantly increased in diabetic compared with control rats, and correlated positively and significantly with mean blood glucose concentrations measured in the fasting and fed states. The results indicate that glycated albumin levels measured by immunoassay reflect recent integrated glycaemia and provide and objective index of glycaemic status in the rat experimental model of diabetes.