Free Plasma Amino Acids in Selenium-deficient Lambs and Rats

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Abstract
The plasma amino acid score (PAA score) was calculated from the free plasma amino acid levels in fed and fasted selenium-deficient and selenium-supplemented lambs at 1–2, 7, 14, 28 and 42 days of age and of rats at 120 days of age. No significant difference either in the total or the total nonessential PAA score between supplemented and deficient lambs was observed at 1–2, 7 and 14 days, but both scores were significantly higher for the supplemented lambs at 28 and 42 days of age. No significant difference in the total essential PAA score between supplemented and deficient lambs was detected at any age. Of the essential amino acids, only the PAA scores for methionine, threonine and lysine; and of the nonessential amino acids the scores for serine, proline, glutamate, aspartate, alanine, citrulline, glycine, ornithine, and two of the ninhydrin-positive compounds (taurine and α-amino butyrate) were significantly different at one or more of the ages between supplemented and deficient lambs. In contrast to the lambs, the PAA scores for all compounds, except aspartate, glutamate, proline and citrulline, were higher for deficient rats; however, only the scores for glycine, alanine, tyrosine and lysine were significantly higher.