BLOOD LEVELS OF ADENINE NUCLEOTIDES 1

Abstract

A spectrophotometric technic is described for measuring total adenine nucleotide as well as the adenylic acid (AMP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content of the blood using enzymes in the spectrbphotometer. The total nucleotide remains fairly uniform over long periods of time, while the known nucleotide (AMP, ADP and ATP) shows considerable variation from week to week. In freshly drawn blood the level of known nucleotide is maintained for at least 90 min. when the blood is drawn under heparin; when drawn under oxalate, the ATP is rapidly converted to ADP and AMP. The magnitude of the ATP level is increased by the intramusc. injn. of My-B-Den (muscle adenylic acid) and ATP, but not by yeast adenylic acid. The effect appears to be indirect, since larger doses produce no more of an increase than do lower ones. That the effect is indirect is further borne out by the observation that AMP added directly to blood does not appear to enter the cells.