Abstract
As a preliminary to a study of the origin of ethereal sulfates in the rabbit, we thought it worth while to investigate the metabolism of isobarbituric acid in this species. In the adult dog 1 and in man 2 this pyrimidine is partly broken down to urea, partly conjugated with sulfuric acid.
Four adult rabbits were placed in metabolism cages, and kept on a diet consisting of equal parts of alfalfa and oats. The amount of food given each animal was 10 gm. less than that eaten at will. This was found to be sufficient to permit a slight gain in weight over a period of 3 months. The animals were allowed to drink water ad libitum. The freely voided urine was collected every 24 hours.
Isobarbituric acid was prepared according to Davidson and Baudisch. 3 The purity of the compound was checked by analysis.
The following analytical methods were used: Total N, Kjel-dahl; urea, Van Slyke's gasometric method 4 ; inorganic and ethereal sulfur, Folin's method 5 ; total sulfur, Denis modification of Benedict's method. 6
Isobarbituric acid was fed altogether 9 times to rabbits. Three representative experiments are given in Table I. We find a rise in the urea output, a drop in the inorganic sulfur fraction, and a corresponding increase in the ethereal sulfates. These observations indicate that the metabolism of isobarbituric acid in the rabbit follows the same path as in the adult dog and in man.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.