Urate synthesis in the perfused chick liver

Urate synthesis was studied in a perfused chicken liver preparation. The perfused liver had an ATP/ADP ratio of 0.29+/-0.05(6) compared with 0.34+/-0.07(10) in liver obtained from chicks under ether anaesthesia. Lactate/pyruvate ratios were 9.4+/-1.7(5) in the perfused liver and 14.8+/-1.8(5) in the rapidly sampled liver. Urate synthesis was only marginally stimulated by glycine, glutamine, aspartic acid or NH(4)Cl, but significant increases were observed with phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate, aminoimidazolecarboxylic acid riboside, inosine, inosinic acid and xanthine. Urate synthesis from glycine, glutamine, NH(4)Cl, asparagine, alanine, histidine and a mixture of 21 amino acids was obtained on inclusion of insulin in the perfusion medium. Evidence for the inclusion of the carbon of histidine into uric acid was obtained. Aspects of the energy consumption associated with the conversion of excess of amino acid into uric acid are considered.