Enzymatic degradation of uric acid by uricase-loaded human erythrocytes.

Erythrocytes containing pig liver uricase have been prepared by hypotonic hemolysis in the presence of the enzyme. Uricase is shown to be active within the erythrocytes and to degrade uric acid as rapidly as it enters the cells when high intracellular enzyme concentrations are employed. The kinetics and characteristics of uric acid entry are shown to be the same for hemolysed and normal erythrocytes. At physiological concentrations of uric acid, loaded erythrocytes can degrade a maximum of about 21 mumol uric acid/liter erythrocytes per min. The possible application of enzyme-loaded erythrocytes to medicine is discussed.