Uptake of L-Arginine and L-Lysine by the Small Intestine and Its Influence on Arginine-Lysine Antagonism in Chicks

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Abstract
The uptake of L-arginine and L-lysine by segments from various locations of the small intestine of 4- to 6-week-old male chickens was studied in an in vitro system using radioactive amino acids with the everted sac technique. The rates of uptake of both arginine and lysine increased significantly from the duodenum to the lower ileum, irrespective of whether the results were expressed on the basis of length or dry weight of the segment. The uptake of lysine was much faster than that of arginine. An excess of leucine inhibited the uptake of arginine much more than lysine, while an excess of glycine was without any effect. L-Lysine produced an arginine deficiency when fed to chicks whereas L-leucine did not. These results indicate that the lysine-arginine antagonism is not at the absorption level.