Abstract
Summary
Synthetic isovalthine (S-(isopropyl-carboxymethyl)-cysteine) was added to urine from hypercholesterolemic patients that had received mevalonic acid-2-C14 intravenously. Isovalthine recovered from the urine was found to be devoid of radioactivity thus indicating that either (a) mevalonic acid is not a precursor of isovalthine, or (b) mevalonic acid may be a precursor of isovalthine but the metabolite is not encountered in all cases of hypercholesterolemia. The existence in the urine samples studied of an amphoteric metabolite of mevalonic acid was demonstrated.
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