Chromatographic Investigation of Purines in Normal Human Urine.

A method has been developed by which individual variations in urinary excertion of purines may be investigated on a qualitative andsemi-quantitative basis. The method employs an ion exchange step to remove uric acid, and separates by paper chromatography the purines precipitated by silver nitrate. Two normal subjects on purine-free diet excreted a total of more than 30 mg/day of non-uric acid purine derivatives. Those identified, in order of diminishing abundance, are hypoxanthine, xanthine, 7-methylguanine, adenine, 1-methylguanine and guanine.