Longitudinal urinary excretion of some "trace" acids in a human male.

Conjugated and unconjugated urinary levels of phenylacetic acid (PAA), m-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (m-HPA) and p-hydroxyphenylacetic acid have been determined for 24-h urine samples obtained from a single healthy male over a 28-day period. Gas chromatographic--electron-capture and mass spectrometric--integrated ion current techniques incorporating appropriate internal standards were used. The average urinary excretion values obtained were (in mg/24 h): PAA unconjugated 0.67, conjugated 96.6; m-HPA unconjugated 7.3, conjugated less than 0.1; p-HPA unconjugated 22.4, conjugated less than 1.2. Following the ingestion of appropriate deuterated amino acid precursors the expected urinary deuterated trace acids were identified and quantitated; in the case of deuterated phenylethylamine, m-HPA and p-HPA as well PAA were identified and quantitated. This is the first evidence of phenylethylamine hydroxylation in the human. The longitudinal excretion of the trace acids was compared with that of the trace amines.