STUDIES ON XANTHURENIC ACID

V. EXPERIMENTS OF PROTRACTED ACCUMULATIVE EFFECTS OF XANTHURENIC ACID CAUSING CHRONIC DIABETIC SYPTOMS IN WHITE RATS

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From the results obtained in the above-mentioned experiments, it is clearly proved that xanthurenic acid is the causative substance of diabetic symptoms in white rats. It is further proved biochemically and histo-pathologically that xanthurenic acid has an accumulative action, namely, when its relatively weak effect continues for certain length of time it induces severe chronic diabetic symptoms. The fact that human diabetes generally progresses chronically, is taken into con-sideration. These findings are of great interest. Further, it should be noted that xanthurenic acid is an abnormal metabolites of tryptophan and that the acid exists always in the urine of diabetes patients as proved by Kotake and Tani (6). We, therefore, consider it to be well-founded that the diabetic symptoms caused by xanthurenic acid in white rats is the same with those of human diabetes, caused by nutritional failure. The fact that the existence of a much greater number of diabetes patients among civilized people who eat food rich in fat and protein stands in quite concordance with our view. Indeed, our experimental results would afford a new road for therapy and prophylaxis of human diabetes.
We heartily thank Prof. Yashiro Kotake for his pertinent advices, encourage-ments and his revision and heartily thank Prof. Keizo Kodama for his revision to this study and also heartily thank the Department of Anatomy and Pathology of our College for their help given us in the histopathological examinations.