Urinary excretion of xanthurenic acid and zinc in diabetes: (3). Occurrence of xanthurenic acid-Zn2+ complex in urine of diabetic patients and of experimentally-diabetic rats.

The urinary excretion of Xanthurenic acid (XA) and Zn2+ in diabetic patients and experimentally-diabetic rats were examined. A significantly elevated excretion of urinary XA was found in diabetic patients and alloxan- and streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. A significantly high amount of zinc was also found in the urines of the diabetic patients and of the diabetic rats. Our findings indicate that the XA may be substantially excreted, as its complex with Zn2+, into majority of the elevated XA is excreted as its complex with Zn2+.