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Uric acid is a waste product naturally made by the body when it breaks down compounds called purines. When there’s too much uric acid in the body, it can form sharp, needle-like crystals in and ...
Uric acid is a heterocyclic compound of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and hydrogen with the formula C 5 H 4 N 4 O 3. It forms ions and salts known as urates and acid urates, such as ammonium acid urate. Uric acid is a product of the metabolic breakdown of purine nucleotides, and it is a normal component of urine. [1]
A xanthine oxidase inhibitor is any substance that inhibits the activity of xanthine oxidase, an enzyme involved in purine metabolism.In humans, inhibition of xanthine oxidase reduces the production of uric acid, and several medications that inhibit xanthine oxidase are indicated for treatment of hyperuricemia and related medical conditions including gout. [1]
This can occur because of diet, genetic predisposition, or underexcretion of urate, the salts of uric acid. [1] Underexcretion of uric acid by the kidney is the primary cause of hyperuricemia in about 90% of cases, while overproduction is the cause in less than 10%. [ 5 ]
By decreasing plasma uric acid levels, help dissolve these crystals, while limiting the formation of new ones. However, the increased uric acid levels in urine can contribute to kidney stones . Thus, use of these drugs is contraindicated in persons already with a high urine concentration of uric acid ( hyperuricosuria ).
Haig's uric-acid free diet (known as Haig's diet) required the elimination of every food containing high amounts of purines that could be metabolized into uric acid. [16] On this diet all meats, legumes and some vegetables were eliminated including asparagus, beans, lentils, mushrooms, peas and whole grain products. [16]
Methotrexate also indirectly inhibits purine synthesis by blocking the metabolism of folic acid (it is an inhibitor of the dihydrofolate reductase). Allopurinol is a drug that inhibits the enzyme xanthine oxidoreductase and, thus, lowers the level of uric acid in the body. This may be useful in the treatment of gout, which is a disease caused ...
Hyperuricosuria is a medical term referring to the presence of excessive amounts of uric acid in the urine. For men this is at a rate greater than 800 mg/day, and for women, 750 mg/day. [1] Notable direct causes of hyperuricosuria are dissolution of uric acid crystals in the kidneys or urinary bladder, and hyperuricemia.