Clinical Drug Experience Knowledgebase

MOLYBDATE ION is a compound containing an oxoanion with molybdenum in its highest oxidation state of VI. Molybdates are widely used in catalysis. In terms of scale, the largest consumer of molybdate is as a precursor to catalysts for hydrodesulfurization, the process by which sulfur is removed from petroleum. Bismuth molybdates, nominally of the composition Bi9PMo12O52, catalyzes ammoxidation of propylene to acrylonitrile. Ferric molybdates are used industrially to catalyze the oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde. Molybdenum is a constituent of the enzymes xanthine oxidase, sulfite oxidase, and aldehyde oxidase. Among other reactions, xanthine oxidase catalyzes conversion of xanthine and hypoxanthine to uric acid; sulfite oxidase converts sulfite to sulfate; and aldehyde oxidase detoxifies a variety of harmful organic molecules (such as aldehydes into acids). In humans, molybdenum deficiency resulting from prolonged TPN support has been reported in literature. The deficiency syndrome included tachycardia, tachypnea, headache, night blindness, nausea, vomiting, central scotomas, culminating in generalized edema, lethargy, disorientation, and coma. The biochemical changes associated with the syndrome were: hypermethioninemia, hypouricemia, hypouricosuria, low urinary excretion of inorganic sulfate and elevated urinary excretion of Thiosulfate. Supplementation of TPN solutions with Molybdenum has been reported to alleviate the symptoms and normalize the biochemical abnormalities. In animals, diet induced molybdenum deficiency has been produced experimentally with tungstate. The deficiency symptoms are characterized by decreased weight gain, food consumption, and life expectancy and deranged microbiological processes in the rumen. Renal xanthine calculi have been reported in sheep grazing on low-molybdenum pasture.   ^NCATS