Plasma uric acid levels in ethanol-fed turkey poults treated with allopurinol.

Plasma uric acid levels were determined in ethanol-fed poults following administration of allopurinol. In young poults, allopurinol at a dose of 50 mg/kg significantly depressed plasma uric acid levels 6 hr post-dosing. At 11 hr post-dosing, plasma uric acid levels were significantly elevated in the allopurinol-treated poults when compared with control poults. During a period of ethanol abstinence, allopurinol at a dose of 40 mg/kg significantly depressed plasma uric acid levels up to 8 hr post-dosing. At a dose of 30 mg/kg, plasma uric acid levels were similar to control values at 4 and 6 hr post-dosing. Data suggest that plasma uric acid levels can be depressed in ethanol poults when allopurinol is administered every 8 hr at a dose of 40-50 mg/kg of body weight.