Polyamine metabolism II: N-(Monoaminoalkyl)- and N-(polyaminoalkyl)acetamides in human urine.

TLC and high-pressure liquid chromatographic examination of the dansyl derivatives obtained from human urine indicated the presence of N-[3-[4-aminobutyl)amino]propyl]acetamide (N1-acetylspermidine), N-4-amino]buryl]acetamide (N8-acetylspermidine), N-(4-aminobutyl)acetamide (N-acetylputrescine), and N-(5-aminopentyl)acetamide (N-acetylcadaverine). The ratio of N1- to N8-acetylspermidine ranged from 10.3 in the urine of a patient with hepatoma to 1.1 in the urine of a normal subject. The three cancer patients had a considerably higher ratio of N1- to N8-acetylspermidine than did the three normal subjects. These findings indicate the ratio of N1- to N8-acetylspermidine in the 24-hr urine may serve as a biochemical marker for cancer.