FREE AMINO ACIDS FOLLOWING HEPATECTOMY 455 
rats which had not been given ammonium citrate. Increased levels of glutamine 
were found in the plasma with larger increases in the total amino acids. 
When glutamine was administered at the rate of 0.25 mg of a-amino N/h for 
18-22 h to eviscerated rats, maintained with insulin at temperatures of 32° or less, 
glutamine accumulated in the brain and accounted for approximately all the increase 
seen in the total free amino acids (Table I). The increase in glutamine in the brain 
TABLE I 
EFFECT OF INJECTION OF AMMONIA AND GLUTAMINE ON FREE AMINO ACIDS OF RAT BRAIN 

mg of a-amino N/g 

Skeletal 






Number Injection of Rectal US Brae, muscle 
of ammonium citrate temper- - — - + —__-—— — — — 
rats —.—- - ature Total Total Total 
mg of N/[h h (°C) free Gluta- free Gluta- free Gluta- 
amino mine amino mine amino mine 
acids acids acids 
LOeNE 5-4 0.8 28.4 5.6 24.8 4.0 
+o0.1** +0.1** +0.7** + 0.6** + 2.6** -+ 1.6** 
IN 1.0 23-5 30.5 28.3 0.4 
Ta kee 0.25 19 Sy ay/ 157) 4.8 40.9 28.3 21.6 7.5 
TE 1.0 7, 8323) 18.5 6.4 50.0 25.0 2220) 8.4 
Glutamine 
mg of a- h 
amino N/h 
1 13 0.25 18.8 31.6 65.3 35-1 
rE ©2255), 20-0 Bi 15.0 4.3 58.0 31.9 22.0 TA 
LE 0.25 21.5 31.5 16.0 5-4 51.4 27.4 23.6 9.3 
ie 18. 1.0 18.0 32.0 20.9 8.2 60.6 332 25.5 estat 
rE 1.0 21.5 32.3 41.6 12.0 60.0 0.2 45-5 16.0 
Le 1.0 22.0 31.6 30.9 9.8 51.9 21 40.4 17.8 


* N, normal; E, eviscerated. 
** The number after the + is the standard error of the mean for the ten normal rats. The 
eviscerated rats were given glucose and insulin, in addition to the ammonium citrate, or glutamine. 
following the injection of ammonium citrate or glutamine to eviscerated rats with 
subnormal temperatures was no greater than that which accumulated spontaneously 
in other eviscerated rats at more nearly normal body temperatures. Increased levels 
of glutamine were found in skeletal muscle when glutamine was administered to 
eviscerated rats. In only two out of five of these eviscerated rats was a significant 
increase found in the other free amino acids. Glutamine levels were greatly in- 
creased in the plasma during the intravenous injection of glutamine. The great 
increase in the other free amino acids of plasma which also occurred helped to main- 
tain a normal composition of the amino acid mixture in plasma. Intravenous ad- 
ministration of a protein hydrolysate (Table II) produced large increases in the 
content of free amino acids in the plasma and tissue of the eviscerated rat. 
References p. 460 
