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Book

Biochemistry, Xanthine Oxidase

In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
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Book

Biochemistry, Xanthine Oxidase

Numan Aziz et al.
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Excerpt

Xanthine oxidase is the enzyme required to produce uric acid by the breakdown of purine nucleotides. The uric acid itself, as well as the reactive oxygen species released during the enzymatic reaction, can have detrimental effects on the body. Gout is a common condition that occurs due to elevated uric acid production via this mechanism. As a result, many drugs have been formed to combat gout, by inhibiting xanthine oxidase enzyme activity. Moreover, regulations of this enzyme have proven to be effective for anti-cancer purposes.

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Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Numan Aziz declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Radia Jamil declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

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    1. Okamoto K, Matsumoto K, Hille R, Eger BT, Pai EF, Nishino T. The crystal structure of xanthine oxidoreductase during catalysis: implications for reaction mechanism and enzyme inhibition. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2004 May 25;101(21):7931-6. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Pacher P, Nivorozhkin A, Szabó C. Therapeutic effects of xanthine oxidase inhibitors: renaissance half a century after the discovery of allopurinol. Pharmacol Rev. 2006 Mar;58(1):87-114. - PMC - PubMed
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    1. Wang CH, Zhang C, Xing XH. Xanthine dehydrogenase: An old enzyme with new knowledge and prospects. Bioengineered. 2016 Nov;7(6):395-405. - PMC - PubMed

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