The Metabolism of Arginine and Leucine with Special Reference to Respiratory Exchange and Heat Production

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

With albino rats as subjects, the dynamic effects of arginine monohydrochloride and leucine were determined by superimposition upon a nutritively complete basal diet. Virtually all of the nitrogen of these amino acids was absorbed, metabolized, and eliminated in the urine; and of the energy of these two compounds, 64.8% and 90.0%, respectively, was metabolized. The dynamic effects of arginine and leucine varied between 45.8% and 137.2%, and 19.2% and 49.3%, respectively, of their metabolizable energy. In neither case does it seem justified to assume that the true value is a physiological constant.