MECHANISM BY WHICH ACTH INCREASES THE EXCRETION OF URATE

Abstract

ACTH was administered to 9 rats and renal excretion studies made which showed an increase of 18% above controls in the excretion of urate, but no change in excretion of total purine or in glomerular filtration rate. ACTH provoked no greater rise in plasma urate of 14 nephrectomized rats than observed in controls, while total purine was also essentially the same. The results indicate that ACTH has no effect on purine metabolism in the rat, but probably has a direct effect upon the tubular reabsorption of urate.