Renal and salivary clearance of purine derivatives in sheep

Abstract
Four adult ewes (mean weight 42·6 kg) fitted with oesophageal fistulae were given 5 mmol/day ofallantoin or saline solutions by intrajugular continuous infusion. The experiment was a randomized cross-over design, with two consecutive 3-day infusion periods. One kg/day fresh matter of either chopped or pelleted fescue hay was distributed over 12 meals and salivary flow estimated from dilution of Co-EDTA infused into the buccal cavity. Allantoin infusion resulted in a rapid increase in its plasma concentration (84 to 128 (s.e. 1·5) μmol/l) and urinary excretion (9·6 to 13·3 (s.e. 0·18) mmol/day) without significant differences between diets. Salivary allantoin also increased (4·6 to 6·4 (s.e. 0·60) ymol/1) in response to infusion, although the concentration of total purine derivatives in saliva was only proportionately 0·08 that of plasma. Renal and salivary clearance of oxypurines, allantoin (78 (s.e. 5·0) ml/min and 13 (s.e. 0·7) ml/h), uric acid (466 (s.e. 98·0) ml/min and 45 (s.e. 9·8) ml/h) and creatinine (104 (s.e. 3·0) ml/min and 14 (s.e. 1·1) ml/h) were constant, irrespective of diet and infusion treatments. Urinary recovery of infused allantoin averaged 0·78 (s.e. 0·031) but salivary secretion, equivalent to about 0·003 of urinary losses, was not the explanation for the incomplete recovery.

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