Uridine-induced hyperthermia in the rabbit

Uridine injection in 0.6% saline elevated rabbit temperatures (mean = 0.9 degree C) in the USP XX pyrogen test. Hyperthermia was delayed in onset and peaking 3-4 h post injection, but the injection was negative in the limulus amoebocyte lysate (LAL) assay. Uridine from five lots of different sources exceeded USP XX limits in the rabbit pyrogen test and proved negative in the LAL assay. Because the dose of uridine was high, several procedures were used to determine if an impurity was the cause of temperature elevation. Uridine remained pyrogenic in spite of ultrafiltration (10 000 nominal mol. wt), recrystallization and preparative scale HPLC. Sterile filtration and autoclaving also did not affect the response. Hyperthermia, therefore, appears to be an inherent property of uridine. Uridine was also found to release endogenous pyrogen in-vitro from human mononuclear cells. Uridine has been reported to induce fever in man, thus the USP rabbit pyrogen test predicted for the clinical response.