Effects of uricosuric drugs and diuretics on uric acid excretion in oxonate-treated rats.

A practical procedure for evaluating uricosuric agents was demonstrated using clearance experiments with potassium oxonate-treated rats. The fractional excretion value of uric acid showed a reabsorptive net flux of uric acid in the renal tubules of the animal, though the value was obviously higher than those of primates such as men, chimpanzees and cebus monkeys. However, the rats responded well to uricosuric drugs and diuretics. Probenecid and uricosuric diuretics such as tienilic acid induced hyperuricosuria due to the increase of fractional excretion of uric acid and/or the increase of the filtered amount of uric acid with the rise of plasma uric acid. On the other hand, furosemide had no effect on uric acid excretion at a low dose with moderate diuresis, while a higher dose decreased the fractional excretion of uric acid with elevation of plasma uric acid. Benzothiazides were also uricosuric at the lower doses, but the high dose, as in the case of the so-called uricosuric drugs, had no effect on the uric acid excretion and plasma uric acid level. Thus, oxonate-treated rats were useful for evaluating drug effects on uric acid excretion.