J. Biol. Chem., Vol. 260, Issue 5, 2812-2818, Mar, 1985
Salvage of circulating pyrimidine nucleosides by tissues of the mouse
JD Moyer, N Malinowski and O Ayers
The metabolism of pyrimidine nucleosides present in the plasma of the mouse
has been examined. Uridine and cytidine are rapidly cleared from the
circulation with t1/2 of less than 5 min. Uracil, deoxycytidine,
deoxyuridine, and thymidine are cleared more slowly with t1/2 of 9 to 13
min. Various tissues differed markedly in the extent of nucleotide
formation from circulating nucleosides. Cytidine and uridine are
predominantly converted to nucleotides (greater than 50%) rather than
catabolized, whereas uracil is almost entirely degraded. Thymidine,
deoxyuridine, and deoxycytidine are intermediate in the extent of their
conversion to nucleotides: 8.9 to 21% of these nucleosides are salvaged in
the mouse. Both anabolic and catabolic routes are important in the
metabolism of pyrimidine nucleosides in vivo.