Frequent administration of uric acid extends survival of fasting analbuminemic rats under cold environment.

Analbuminemic rats died within 18 h after a rapid decrease of body temperature whereas control Charles River, Wistar, and Sprague Dawley rats survived for 40 h, when the animals were kept at 5 degrees C without food. Five low molecular weight fractions obtained from Sprague Dawley rat sera were administered to analbuminemic rats kept under these conditions. The duration of survival was extended by the administration of two of the fractions. Several characteristics of one of these fractions coincided with those of uric acid, and body temperature of analbuminemic and Sprague Dawley rats increased within 5 min after uric acid administration.