Enzymatic hydrolysis of pentaerythritoltetranicotinate and meso-inositolhexanicotinate in blood and tissues.

The esters between nicotinic acid and pentaerythritol (niceritrol, Perycit) or meso-inositol (MIHN) were hydrolyzed by enzymes present in plasma and tissues of man, rat and dog. Human plasma and rat tissues hydrolyzed niceritrol at a higher rate than did MIHN. The reversed relation was found with dog tissue. The ability of niceritrol and MIHN to raise the level of free nicotinic acid of plasma was studied on man, dog and rat and related with their hydrolysis in vitro and the different solubility of the esters. There was a relationship between these properties of the esters and their ability to increase the plasma level of nicotinic acid.