Effect of allopurinol and benzbromarone on the concentration of uridine in plasma.

To investigate whether allopurinol and benzbromarone affect the concentration of uridine in plasma, allopurinol or benzbromarone were administered to patients with gout for 3 to 6 months. Allopurinol decreased the concentrations of uridine and uric acid in plasma and the urinary excretion of uric acid, but increased the plasma concentration and urinary excretion of oxypurines and orotidine. Benzbromarone decreased the concentration of uric acid in plasma and increased the excretion of uric acid in urine. However, it did not affect the plasma concentration of uridine or oxypurines or the urinary excretion of oxypurines or orotidine. These results suggest that orotidilytic decarboxylase was inhibited by allopurinol and oxypurinol ribonucleotides and/or that phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate (PRPP) was consumed by conversion from hypoxanthine, allopurinol, and oxypurinol to the respective ribonucleotides, resulting in a decrease in the de novo synthesis of pyrimidine leading to the decreased concentration of uridine in plasma. Furthermore, it was suggested that benzbromarone did not affect the de novo synthesis of pyrimidine or purine.