Effect of Administration of Amino Acids on Circulating Eosinophils and Lymphocytes in Normal and Adrenalectomized Rats

Abstract

Summary and conclusions 1. A study was made to determine whether the oral administration of glutamic acid produced an increased secretion of adrenalin by employing the changes in the blood eosinophil and lymphocyte level as indicators. 2. Glutamic acid, aspartic acid, glycine, alanine, and water or saline were administered to a group of white rats before and after adrenalectomy and the effects on the levels of the blood eosinophils and lymphocytes were determined. 3. Only the dicarboxylic amino acids produced a statistically significant depression of the eosinophils in the normal and adrenalectomized animals. However, in the latter animals the lymphocytes also were depressed by aspartic acid but not by glutamic acid. 4. The results obtained in adrenalectomized rats showed that the levels of the blood eosinophils and lymphocytes could be influenced by other mechanisms than the pituitary-adrenal system. 5. The possible significance of the small difference observed between normal and adrenalectomized rats regarding eosinophil changes is discussed.