462 J. D. MARKS AND H. K. BERRY 
creased progressively to a maximum of 10 mg/day. Excretion of glycine was not 
appreciably altered; there was a slight increase in glutamic acid. Addition of glutamine 
to the diet resulted in further increase in alanine excretion, but did not produce an 
elevation in glutamine excretion. During this period of acute deficiency /-alanine, 
aspartic acid, taurine and cysteic acid appeared in the urine. When the rats were 
placed on a complete diet, supplemented with oral doses of calcium pantothenate 
(1-2 mg/day) for approx. 2 weeks the urinary excretion pattern became normal. 
Average values of amino acid excretion by rats of various strains can be found in 
the publications of PENTz? and others?. 
Amino acid excretion by pregnant albino rats fed a complete diet and pantothenic acid- 
deficient diet. Four rats were fed pantothenic acid-deficient diet beginning on the 
Ist day of pregnancy, which was established by vaginal smears. Oral doses of w- 
methylpantothenate (1-2 mg/day) were fed on gestation days 10 to 13 inclusive 
while the deficient diet was continued. Three of the pregnant rats were given a 
complete diet from the 18th day of gestation until delivery to insure normal termina- 
tion of pregnancy. As control, one rat was maintained on a complete diet throughout 
the pregnancy. 
The rat fed a complete diet throughout the pregnancy excreted glutamic acid, 
glycine and an unidentified ninhydrin-positive substance in small amounts (0.8— 
1.5 mg/day), while alanine and taurine were present in relatively large amounts 
(2.6-3.0 mg/day) by the 13th day. The amounts of taurine and alanine excreted 
during the period are shown in Table I. The level of taurine increased during pregnancy 
to a peak in the middle of the gestational period. Post-partum urine samples showed 
little or no taurine. 
Taurine concentration in urine is known to vary with the animal strain. In this strain 
little taurine was detected in urine specimens from males or non-pregnant females fed 
complete diets. As the pregnancy progressed taurine excretion of the rat fed a complete 
diet increased. These data suggest that in this strain of rats excretion of taurine is 
TABLET 
AMINO ACID EXCRETION BY PREGNANT ALBINO RATS 




Alanine excretion Taurine excretion 
Days SS = = - > 
gestation Complete Deficient Complete Deficient 
(mg/day) (mg/day) (mg/day) (mg/day) 
oO 0.20 0.10 0.93 = 
2 0.89 0.10 0.90 as 
5-6 0.44 5.2 es iit 
7-9 1.6 II 2.7 SE2 
10 — 39 — 253 
13 Ba2 50 2.5 3.3 
15 — — 2.8 = 
16 — —— 2a = 
18 — Uy —- 20 
19 — 18o0* — 7) a Bed 
20 2.0 Flos 0.66 sigs te 
Post-partum = 5.5* 

of gestation. 
— Below minimum amount detectable. 
References p. 464 
