THE CAUSE OF THE DISAPPEARANCE OF ARGININE FROM THE BLOOD OF RATS WITH ACUTE HEPATIC NECROSIS INDUCED BY DIETARY MEANS

Abstract

One hundred and fifteen male weanling rats of the Sprague–Dawley strain were placed on a basal ration designed to deplete their tissue reserves of vitamin E and selenium. They were then placed on a diet capable of precipitating acute hepatic necrosis within a few days. At 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 78, 84, 90, 96, 114, 120, 132, 144, and 160 hours, groups of rats, including any which showed obvious signs of liver damage, were anesthetized with pentobarbital and blood samples were taken from the aorta via a syringe. Determinations of arginase activity of the plasma showed that greatly elevated values occurred only at the time of development of the acute liver damage. It is concluded that the disappearance of arginine from the blood of rats in which acute liver necrosis has developed is due to the liberation of arginase from the dead and dying liver cells thus destroying the amino acid.