EFFECT OF ETHANOL AND FRUCTOSE ON PLASMA URIDINE AND PURINE-BASES

To determine whether both ethanol and fructose increase the plasma con centration of uridine, we administered ethanol (0.6 g/kg) or fructose (1.0 g/kg) to seven normal subjects. Both ethanol and fructose increas ed the plasma concentration of uridine together with an increase in th e plasma concentration of oxypurines, whereas fructose also increased the plasma concentration of uric acid, but ethanol did not. in ethanol ingestion and fructose infusion, an increase in the plasma concentrat ion of purine bases correlated with that of uridine. These results str ongly suggest that an increase in the plasma concentration of uridine is ascribable to increased pyrimidine degradation following purine deg radation increased by ethanol and fructose. Copyright (C) 1997 by W.B. Saunders Company.