Deacetylation of acetamido compounds by tissue extracts

Several workers have provided evidence that de- acetylation occurs both in vivo and in vitro. Abbott (1942) found that, when N-acetylglycine and sodium benzoate were administered orally to rabbits, the increase in hippuric acid excretion was only slightly less than when the corresponding amount of glycine was given with the benzoate. Elson, Goulden & Warren (1946) found that the rat deacetylated N- acetanilide almost completely. Krebs, Sykes & Bartley (1947) showed that injected N4-acetylsulphamezathine was deacetylated to a considerable extent by the pigeon, dog and cat. Some aromatic acetamido compounds appear to undergo slight de- acetylation in the rabbit. This is ptobably largely due to spontaneous hydrolysis (cf. Krebs et al; 1947; Bray, Lake & Thorpe, 1949).