ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A NEW URINARY METABOLITE DERIVED FROM SPERMIDINE

• Analysis of the basic fraction of hydrolysed urine showed an unknown metabolite which appeared 20 min before arginine on the Technicon analyser and 25 min after arginine on the Locarte Instrument. • The same metabolite was formed after injection of spermidine into rats. Thus, spermidine is considered to be the source of the metabolite. Synthesis of N-(3-aminopropyl)-4-aminobutyric acid is described. • The isolation and purification of the urinary metabolite is described. The metabolite and the synthetic compound were shown to be identical by several techniques including NMR spectroscopy. • The metabolite is derived from endogenous sources. Only a small amount is found in urine in the free state. The large increase after hydrolysis indicates that the metabolite is excreted mainly in the combined form. • Analysis of N-(3-aminopropyl)-4-aminobutyric acid in different types of malignancy is proposed. © 1979.