[The influence of allopurinol on purine- and pyrimidinesynthesis (author's transl)].

Allopurinol inhibits xanthinoxydase. This results in a decrease of the serum and urinary uric acid. Simultaneously the renal excretion of hypoxanthine and xanthine increases. In most patients, however, the decrease of urinary uric acid is not completely replaced by the increase of oxypurines. This is attributed to an additional inhibition of de novo purine biosynthesis. The different effect of allopurinol on the endogenous and exogenous urates offers an alternative approach to explain the "purine deficit". The effect of allopurinol on the pyrimidine metabolism is due to an inhibition of orotidylic decarboxylase by the ribonucleotides of allopurinol, xanthine and oxipurinol. This inhibition is followed by an increase in the urinary excretion of orotidine and orotic acid. The additional administration of ribonucleic acid leads to a striking decrease of the allopurinol induced orotaciduria. The continuous administration of allopurinol also produces an increase in the activity of orotate phosphoribosyltransferase and orotidylic decarboxylase. At this time the mechanism of this increase in activity is not completely understood. Allopurinol is metabolized rapidly. Only 3-10% of an administered dose are excreted unchanged in the urine. Most of the allopurinol is oxidized to oxipurinol. A small portion is converted to the ribonucleosides and ribonucleotides1 of allopurinol and oxipurinol.