Abstract
LITTLE information is available on the excretion of methylthiouracil, particularly after its administration in hyperthyroidism. Since the drug is now widely prescribed for the reduction of hyperthyroid and thyrotoxic states, we have been interested in the development of a colour reaction for it capable of adaptation on a quantitative basis. Up to the present, colorimetric methods for the determination of thiouracil and propylthiouracil have been based upon the original procedure of Anderson1, who applied Grote's reagent2 for the determination of thiourea and compounds containing the C=S group to the determination of thiouracil in urine. Methods using Grote's reagent, however, are subject to a number of disadvantages, the chief of which are: (1) instability of the stock reagent; (2) tedious adjustment of the reaction; (3) preparation of standards for each set of determinations. Except for the procedure of Williams et al.3 all workers report an unstable reagent; the method of Williams et al. has the disadvantage of a 12-hr, digestion procedure. Since the colour reaction described in this communication represents a new approach to the subject, previous work will not be discussed further.
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References
Anderson, A. B., Lancet, ii, 242 (Aug. 19, 1944).
Grote, I. W., J. Biol. Chem., 93, 25 (1931).
Williams, R., Jandorf, B. J., and Kay, G. A., J. Lab. Clin. Med., 29, 329 (1944).
Fearon, W. R., Biochem. J., 38, 399 (1944).
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McALLISTER, R. A New Colour Reaction for Methylthiouracil. Nature 166, 789 (1950). https://doi.org/10.1038/166789a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/166789a0
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