AMINO ACID CONSTITUENTS OF URINE 463 
associated with the metabolic changes which occur during pregnancy. Among the rats 
fed a pantothenic acid-deficient diet the onset of vitamin deficiency was first indicated 
by the composition of urine samples obtained after 7-9 days on the deficient diet. 
Initial excretion of amino acids was minimal (0.2-1.0 mg/day), but after 7 days on the 
diet, an elevation in the excretion of alanine was noted (11 mg/day). At this time, no 
physical symptoms of deficiency were apparent. Results of changes in excretion of 
taurine and alanine are presented in Table I. The increase in the excretion of taurine, 
which was observed in urine of pregnant rats on the complete diet, was also detected 
in specimens from pregnant rats fed the deficient diet. During pregnancy the values 
for taurine excretion observed in control and deficient rats were within a narrow 
range (2-4 mg/day). Alanine excretion, however, increased until the deficient diet 
was discontinued. 
By the 13th day of gestation excretions of glycine, glutamic acid and taurine 
were slightly increased in urine specimens from pregnant rats fed pantothenic acid. 
ouyerst ail 
\ Sy 
\ > -iuao ayo ~ oat 
: Sk F “ 
» G OLAVINE 
af TAURINE = > 
na 
al 4 
= 
4 > 
“ 
~~ 
arn ~ Ail 7: oLYcI — he 
thy — 
TAURDE > 
TAURI — Py ~ 
~— 
y “a 
Fig. 1. Chromatograms of urinary amino acids in rats. Solvents: (1) buffered phenol; (2) 2,6- 
lutidine-water. Upper left: male weanling rat, pantothenate-deficient diet plus oral calcium 
pantothenate; upper right: male weanling rat pantothenate-deficient diet; lower left: pregnant 
female rat control, complete diet, 13 days gestation, urine volume 8.5 ml, weight 245 g; lower 
right: pregnant female rat, pantothenate-deficient diet, 13 days gestation, urine volume 3.3 ml, 
weight 235 g. 
References p. 464 
