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Uric acid catabolism in the woolly monkey
Metabolism: Clinical and Experimental
|May 1, 1976
Summary
Woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagothrichia) exhibit high uric acid levels due to limited conversion to allantoin, unlike most mammals. Their renal excretion and extrarenal mechanisms may prevent hyperuricemia, offering insights into primate uric acid metabolism.
Area of Science:
- Primate metabolism
- Biochemistry
- Comparative physiology
Background:
- Woolly monkeys (Lagothrix lagothrichia) show high serum and urinary uric acid.
- Understanding uric acid metabolism in primates is crucial for comparative biology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the degradation and excretion of 2-14C-uric acid in woolly monkeys.
- To elucidate the mechanisms behind elevated uric acid concentrations in this species.
Main Methods:
- Administration of 2-14C-uric acid to adult woolly monkeys.
- Analysis of uric acid degradation and excretion pathways.
Main Results:
- Woolly monkeys convert very little urate to allantoin, similar to humans and great apes.
- Uric acid turnover is several times higher than in humans.
- Renal excretion and extrarenal mechanisms appear to protect against hyperuricemia.
Conclusions:
- The capacity to convert urate to allantoin was lost late in New World monkey evolution.
- Woolly monkeys serve as a valuable model for studying enzyme replacement strategies for uric acid disorders.