Photometric micro-analytical estimation of acetic acid in blood and tissues

Abstract

Acetate, extracted from blood or tissues with methanol, is dried and transformed into methyl acetate. By repeated distillation the C3- C7 fatty acid esters are removed. The ester is saponified and the resulting Na acetate brought to dryness. Formic acid and H2S,which cannot be eliminated in such a way, are oxidized by K2Cr2O7-H2SO4, the acetic acid remaining unchanged. Then acetic acid is fully oxidized by increasing the H2SO4 concn. and by adding Ag ions. The reduction of dichromate is measured photometrically and the acetic acid is estimated by the difference in the extinction. This method permits the estimation of acetic acid in blood and tissues (0.1-2.3 mg.) with an error of less than 10%. Mean values found for acetic acid in blood, human, 4.8, sheep 7.1, guinea pig 10, rat 9. For tissues of rat and guinea pig (rat first) were: liver 6, 54, kidney 47, 35, muscle 23, 16 mg./100 g.