Abstract
Summary
Sialic acid, prepared from beef submaxillary mucin and assayed by the thio-barbituric acid assay, was administered to rats intra-arterially, intraperitoneally, subcutaneously, and also orally with and without antibiotic pretreatment of the gastrointestinal tract. Cannulation experiments demonstrated the rapid removal of free sialic acid from the vascular system following intraarterial administration. Analyses of 6 hour samples of rat urine following parenteral administrations showed that 80-92% of free sialic acid was recovered. Amount recovered increased as dose was increased. Intestinal bacteria destroyed the orally administered sialic acid which was not absorbed to any appreciable extent.
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