Fiorindo A. Simeone

Levels of allantoin and uric acid in dogs subjected to hemorrhagic shock

Abstract The changes in concentration of uric acid and of allantoin were studied in the blood and lymph of mongrel dogs in experimental hemorrhagic shock under sodium pentobarbital anesthesia. The object of the experiment was to determine whether the rise in uric acid concentration in experimental shock results from increased breakdown of adenosine and guanosine nucleotides or from failure of the hepatic conversion of uric acid to allantoin. The concentration of uric acid in serum and lymph was significantly higher in the dogs that were bled than in those serving as controls (Fig. 2). The rate of conversion of uric acid to allantoin during oligemia did not change significantly in these dogs (Fig. 3). After the return of reservoir blood to the animals, the concentration of allantoin in serum and lymph was significantly higher in these dogs than in the control animals that had not been bled (Fig. 3). The increase in the concentration of uric acid in serum and lymph thus results from an increased degradation of the adenosine and guanosine nucleotides, and not from failure of conversion of uric acid to allantoin in the liver.

The treatment of patients with recurrent ventricular fibrillation

During the four year period from 1972 to 1975, eleven patients, eight with recurrent and three with first attacks of ventricular fibrillation, underwent aortocoronary bypass graft and/or resection of ventricular aneurysm. All patients had old myocardial infarction from seven weeks to six years. Left ventricular angiography demonstrated discrete aneurysm of the anterior wall of the left ventricle in nine of the patients and akinesis or hypokinesis of the anterior and posterior wall of the left ventricle in the remaining two. Coronary angiography was carried out in ten patients and revealed significant disease of the left anterior descending and right coronary arteries in ten and nine patients, respectively. There was no operative mortality, and there were two late deaths. Eight patients have improved significantly and have had no further sign of ventricular irritability. The present study indicates that aortocoronary bypass graft and/or resection of ventricular aneurysm is an effective method of therapy for patients with repeacted ventricular fibrillation who have ventricular aneurysm and ischemic heart disease.

A sensitive assay for allantoin

Abstract Allantoin is separated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and sprayed with an acidic solution ofp-dimethylaminobenzaldehyde. The yellow color produced is read in a densitometer and compared with that of a standard. The lower limit of quantitation is 0.1 μg per spot (0.5 mg/100 ml). The method can be utilized for the estimation of allantoin in serum, lymph, and urine.