Levels of adenosine 3',5' cyclic monophosphate and guanosine 3',5' cyclic monophosphate in single urine specimens collected from a large population of healthy subjects.

The levels of adenosine 3',5' cyclic monophosphate and guanosine 3',5' cyclic monophosphate have been measured in random urine specimens provided by 95 healthy volunteers with a view to assessing the importance of the effects of certain physiological factors on the cyclic nucleotide levels in this type of specimen, and to establish suitable reference ranges for future patient monitoring studies. Of the factors investigated, only the stage of the menstrual cycle was found to have a significant effect; even this variation was still within the overall normal reference range. Measurements of urine cyclic nucleotides were also made in relation to the method of specimen collection, handling, and storage. From these studies it was concluded that if the specimen is placed in a refrigerator within a few hours of collection and then transferred to a deep-freeze within 48 hours, these factors do not present any major problems for the subsequent assay of the cyclic nucleotides.