title: Uric acid content of Drosophila decreases with aging.
abstract: Free uric acid concentrations declined with aging in male Oregon R Drosophila melanogaster by 59% or more between 0 and 50 days of adult age. Free xanthine concentrations increased between 0 and 5 days of age and declined by 75% between 5 and 50 days of age. Xanthine oxidase activity was maximal for newly emerged flies and then declined rapidly reaching a minimum at 9 days of age. After 9 days of age xanthine concentrations may be the limiting factor for the production of uric acid by xanthine oxidase in aging fruit flies. Declining uric acid concentrations may represent a loss of antioxidant potential in aging Drosophila.
authors.affiliation: Masonic Medical Research Laboratory, Utica, New York 13501.
authors.forename: H R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Massie
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Shumway
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Whitney
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D004331:Drosophila melanogaster; D008297:Male; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D019820:Xanthine; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D014970:Xanthines / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D014970:Xanthines; D019820:Xanthine; D014527:Uric Acid; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase