Amino acids in muscle and kidney of potassium-deficient rats

Abstract
Muscle and kidney taken from rats with potassium-deficiency alkalosis contained a higher concentration of lysine, histidine and arginine than tissue taken from pair-fed control animals. The concentration of anserine, carnosine and alpha-amino nitrogen did not differ in the two groups. Although the concentration of virtually all of the above substances varied with the length of time that the animal had been receiving the experimental diet, the relationship between the data obtained from potassium-deficient animals and from the pair-fed controls remained constant. The results suggest that a mechanism other than replacement of lost potassium as cation may bring about the increase in the basic amino acids during potassium-deficiency alkalosis and that starvation is associated with a predictable variation in some of the amino acid constituents of the tissues.

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