Effect of Arginine Deficiency on Nutritional Muscular Dystrophy in the Chick.

Abstract

Nutritional muscular dystrophy was readily produced in chicks fed a diet adequate in arginine, but deficient in vitamin E and S-amino acids. When supplemental arginine was omitted from the diet no muscular dystrophy occurred, but an adequate level was necessary for muscular dystrophy to develop even when the growth of chicks fed adequate arginine was restricted by paired-feeding with arginine-deficient groups. Higher levels of arginine did not increase the severity of the symptoms observed. When vitamin E or DL-methionine was included in the diet no muscular dystrophy developed regardless of arginine level.