Free amino acids in plasma, red cells and anaplasmata of parasitized calves

Abstract

1. 1. Free and hydrolyzed free amino acids in plasma and erythrocytes of non-infected splenectomized calves and splenectomized calves parasitized with Anaplasma marginale were identified. 2. 2. Free and hydrolyzed free amino acids were identified in the parasites. 3. 3. Of twenty-seven ninhydrin-positive compounds found, twenty-one were identified as amino acids and quantities estimated. 4. 4. Parasitized animals had higher leucine, aspartic and α-amino- n-butyric acid and less threonine, proline, glycine, isoleucine, ornithine and arginine in plasma. 5. 5. Differences were found in amounts of individual amino acids in both plasma and erythrocytes. However, total amino acid nitrogen was nearly constant in infected vs. normal erythrocytes while a significant drop was observed in the plasma of infected vs. normal calves.