Effect of Allopurinol on Urine Urate-to-Creatinine Ratios in Normal Dalmatians

摘要

Dalmatians are unable to metabolize mate, a product of purine metabolism, efficiently, resulting in high urine urate concentrations and, often, urate urolithiasis. Allopurinol has been used to decrease urate formation in affected Dalmatians. However,over-treatment with allopurinol can cause an accumulation of xanthine, the precursor of urate, and, subsequently, xanthine urolithiasis, Although the dose of allopurinol may be adjusted by monitoring the 24-hour urinary excretion of urate, this process is cumbersome. Urine urate:creatinine ratios (UUCRs) are readily determined, directly associated with the likelihood of occurrence of urate urolithiasis in Dalmatians, and have been decreased in affected animals by the use of allopurinol. The ability of allopurinol to decrease the UUCR in clinically normal Dalmatians was determined.