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Studies on the urinary excretion of “xanthurenic acid” during normal and abnormal pregnancy: A survey of the excretion of “xanthurenic acid” in normal nonpregnant, normal pregnant, pre-eclamptic, and eclamptic women

1951; Elsevier BV; Volume: 62; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/0002-9378(51)91093-9

1097-6868

Herbert Sprince, R Lowy, Clair E. Folsome, Johannes S. Behrman,

Biochemical Acid Research Studies

1.1. A “xanthurenic acid (XA)” excretion test has been described, based on the observation that urinary “xanthurenic acid” levels are best determined in the human being after ingestion of a massive dose of dl-tryptophane, according to the method of Greenberg and co-workers.16 Each test subject was followed for a period of seven consecutive days. Fasting morning urines were obtained for three days before tryptophane ingestion and four days after tryptophane ingestion. 2.2. The “XA” assay employed was the method of Rosen, Huff, and Perlzweig adapted for use with an internal “XA” standard. 3.3. Data are presented to show that pre-eclamptic and eclamptic patients after ingestion of a 10-Gm. test dose of dl-tryptophane excreted much larger amounts of “XA” in the urine than did normal nonpregnant and normal pregnant women under the same conditions. A test paper has been devised which permits qualitatively the rapid detection of increased “XA” excretion. 4.4. The marked increase in “XA” excretion after feeding dl-tryptophane was shown not to be due to a specific disease entity since women with certain clinical disturbances in “normal” pregnancy also gave high “XA” values under the same test conditions. The possibility does exist, however, that the “XA” excretion test may be of value in the early detection of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. 5.5. From a theoretical standpoint, it is possible that high “XA” values after tryptophane reflect a double derangement of metabolic function: (a) abnormal vitamin B6-niacin-protein metabolism, and (b) excessive fibrinolytic activity in the maternal system. Moreover, chemically, “XA” bears a structural resemblance to cinchoninic acid and its derivatives, compounds which have been demonstrated recently to possess antidiuretic activity.