Dietary Protein Intake and Arginine Requirements in the Rat

Abstract

Experiments were conducted with immature rats fed L-amino acid purified diets varying in total N and arginine. The experiments demonstrated that total N intake was the factor responsible for increased orotic acid excretion during arginine deficiency. Increased orotic acid excretion was accompanied by increased liver transaminase activities and increased liver concentrations of NH₄-N and glutamine. Arginine requirements for growth and normal metabolite excretion increased as dietary N was increased. Accompanying elevated urinary citrate during N deprivation and arginine deficiency was a depression of liver isocitrate dehydrogenase activity. Citrate excretion was lower if arginine was fed as the HCl compared to the free base. During a partial or total arginine deficiency citrate excretion was elevated at varying dietary N concentrations. Urinary pH was not significantly changed by level of dietary N or arginine.