The penetration of ornithine and citrulline into liver slices

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Abstract
Methods are described for concentration and separation by paper electrophoresis of ornithine and citrulline, and for their subsequent determination by the ninhydrin procedure of Harris et al. (1954). These methods, and those of Chinard (1952) and Fearon (1939), were applied to the study of the penetration of ornithine and citrulline into rat-liver slices. Citrulline appears to penetrate a little more readily than ornithine. Both amino acids have almost the same concentration in liver water as in medium water after incubation for 15 minutes at 37[degree]. No significant changes in the concentrations of the amino acids in liver water occur when the period of incubation is prolonged to 30 minutes. The data do not support the view that ornithine is a more effective catalyst of urea synthesis than citrulline because it has easier access to liver cells.