Isolation of N-methyl-2-pyridone-5-carboxamide from hemodialysis fluid obtained from uremic patients

N-methyl-2-pyridone-5-carboxamide (2-PY amide) from the hemodialysis fluids of five uremic patients has been isolated, purified, identified and quantified. Ultra-violet and infra-red spectra are presented. The failure of uremic patients to excrete the end products of nicotinic acid derivatives leads to the accumulation of 2-PY amide in uremic blood. This small molecule is freely diffusible and is, therefore, found in hemodialysates when the patients are placed on the artificial kidney for dialysis therapy. It is one of the many compounds which circulate in increased amounts in the body fluids of uremic patients, some of which may contribute to the signs and symptoms of uremia.