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Protein Intake, Hepatic Purine Enzyme Levels and Uric Acid Production in Growing Chicks¹

Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, California 95616

Changes in hepatic purine enzyme activities of chicks fed diets containing 11%, 20%, 43% and 80% protein were correlated with protein intake and uric acid production in order to identify those enzymes with activities that parallel closely and may regulate uric acid production. Nucleoside phosphorylase, xanthine dehydrogenase, adenylosuccinate synthetase and adenosine kinase correlated positively with protein intake and uric acid production. Adenosine deaminase, 5'-nucleotidase (AMP), adenylate deaminase and adenine phosphoribosyltransferase correlated negatively with protein intake and uric acid production. Hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase and 5'-nucleotidase(IMP) were unaffected by protein intake and did not correlate with uric acid production. The ratio of adenosine kinase to adenosine deaminase correlated positively with protein intake and uric acid production. The increased activities of adenylosuccinate synthetase and adenosine kinase, along with the reduced activities of 5'-nucleotidase and adenylate deaminase, in liver from chickens fed the 80% compared with the 11% protein diet demonstrate enhanced synthesis of adenine nucleotides. Since adenine nucleotides are essential cofactors for de novo purine synthesis, it is proposed that adenylosuccinate synthetase, adenosine kinase, 5'-nucleotidase and adenylate deaminase are key enzymes involved in the regulation of purine biosynthesis.

KEY WORDS: • diet protein • purine enzymes • uric acid • chick

¹ Supported by USPHS Grant AM 16726.

² Author to whom reprint requests should be addressed.

Manuscript received 9 June 1977.