Uric Acid Metabolism in Man

Abstract

Publisher Summary Uric acid produced in man is the product of the action of the enzyme xanthine oxidase on xanthine and hypoxanthine. Uric acid enters body as part of the diet but most of it is due to the action of this enzyme on these two purines. Uric acid is not only found in the urine and the serum, but small amounts of its precursors xanthine and hypoxanthine and a variety of other purines are also found in the serum and in the urine. The chapter discusses various abnormal metabolisms of purine derivatives such as gout, xanthinuria, Lesch-Nyhan disease, and partial hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase deficiency. Role of phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate in the rate of synthesis of gout is also summarized. Gout is due to excessive production of uric acid, which leads to the deposition of sodium urate in various parts of the body. Gout is not only extremely painful but can also cause serious kidney damage. An attempt has been made to integrate the known reactions of purine derivatives into a logical sequence of steps that might explain the magnitude of the amount of hypoxanthine and suggest a basis for the consequences of interruption. Only additional research can establish the extent to which this cycle is real, and its ultimate significance in vivo.