Free phenylalanine (Phe) and tyrosine (Tyr) in serum, liver and muscle of the rats fed an excess Phe diet were significantly elevated. However, when large amounts of threonine, glutamic acid or histidine were ingested with excess Phe, the elevation of serum Phe and Tyr was considerably prevented. The excess doses of Phe lowered liver phenylalanine hydroxylase (Phe H) activity (Freedland's method) even under the condition of the low Phe pool induced by the excess dose of threonine. Thus, the relationship between serum Phe concentration and liver Phe H activity was not observed definitely in these experiments. By feeding the excess Phe diet most of the amino acids in serum except Phe and Tyr were decreased, whereas each amino acid concentration in liver was not extensively changed. When the rats fed the excess Phe diet were fasted overnight (16hrs.), the Phe and Tyr concentrations in both serum and liver were lowered to 1/6 and 1/30 of those of non-fasting animals, respectively. It was also discussed that the lowered activity of Phe H by the Phe excess dose may be attributed to the relation between the amount of pteridine co-factor and the excess Phe dose.

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Body densities and skinfold thicknesses of 105 boys and 89 girls aged 9 to 14 years were measured, and the regression equations for predicting the body density from the skinfolds were proposed.
Body density was determined by the water displacement volumetry. The skinfold thicknesses were measured at two sites of triceps and subscapula by using an Eiken-type Caliper (devised in our Institute) calibrated to exert pressure of 10gm/mm².
The average values of body density in boys were 1.0621 for 9-11 years old and 1.0566 for 12-14 years old and in girls were 1.0490 for 9-11 years old and 1.0523 for 12-14 years old (Table 2).
The correlation coefficients between body density and skinfolds were similarly higher in correlation with the triceps skinfold and the combined skinfold of [triceps+subscapula] and with the skinfold index expressed as [skinfold×body surface÷body weight], as compared with the low coefficient values in subscapular skinfold. The correlations between body density and physique indices of W/H² and W/H³ were lower as compared with the coefficients in the skinfolds (Table 3).
The regression equations for predicting the body density from the skinfolds are given in Tables 4, 5 and 6. Among these equations, equation No. 3 for boys and No. 7 for girls are simpler and useful, and equations No. 4 and No. 8 by using the skinfold index are more reliable. The reliability by using the skinfold index lies in eliminating the erroneous element under the influence of individual difference of body height or muscular mass in estimation of the body density and body fat content by the simple use of skinfolds.

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The present study was initiated to clarify the interaction between PCB toxicity and riboflavin metabolism.
Weanling male rats of the Sprague Dawley strain received a diet supplemented with 0.1% PCB for a definite period, and the content of riboflavin and its nucleotides were determined.
It was found that the riboflavin content per gram liver of rats fed on the 0.1% PCB diet decreased significantly as compared with that of control animals. But the riboflavin content per liver per 100 gram body weight of rats fed on the 0.1% PCB diet increased significantly as compared with that of control animals. This is attributed to liver enlargement of the rats fed PCB.
Moreover, it was shown that the ratio of flavin-adeninedinucleotide, flavin-mononucleotide and free riboflavin content of the liver of rats fed on the 0.1% PCB diet was not significantly different from that of the control animals.
The above results seem to indicate that the influence of PCB on liver riboflavin metabolism in the rat was not so strong as in the case of CCl₄, already reported by many investigators.

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The effect of supplementation of lysine or lysine and threonine to the diet of preschool children on their growth and plasma amino acid levels was assessed in feeding trials conducted at the mountainous districts of the northern part of Japan. In the first trial, 0.2g of L-lysine-HCl was given to the children per head per day for 5-13 months, and in the second trial, 0.3g Of L-lysine-HCl and 0.15g of L-threonine were given to them for 5 months.
Statistically significant differences in the gains of body weight and height were not observed between the children in the experimental group and in the control group through lysine feeding. But, by the lysine and threonine supplementation, greater gains in body weight and height were observed compared with those of the control group at 1 or 5% significant level.
The children with more than 2.0 of the plasma amino acid ratio, which was recommended by Whitehead for the diagnosis of subclinical protein deficiency, apparently showed lowered ratio in both trials. The concentration of plasma valine was significantly increased by the lysine and threonine supplementation (p<0.02), whereas those of other branched-chain amino acids and tyrosine were not varied with significance.

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The relation of morbidity of permanent teeth saprodontia and intake of nutrients of inhabitants Kuzakicho, Toba City, a farm-fishing village with a low morbidity rate and in Mori-district, Iidakacho, fountain village with a high morbidity were investigated. Morbidity of saprodontia in permanent teeth of students of the Kuzaki elementary school was 20.0% in the 5th year and 28.6% in the 6th year students. The average number of saprodontia per person was 0.20% and 0.36% in 5th and 6thyear students, respectively. By contrast, in the Mori elementary school, the morbidity rate in the 5th year student was 92% and 93% in the 6th year, the average number, 3.29% and 5.73%, respectively. A remarkable difference between morbidity in both districts, was found and the same tendency was also observed in number of saprodontia at C₃-C₄.
1) Investigation on conditions of the intake of both districts revealed that the intake of animal protein was over 32% the standard value for 1975 (M: 42.5g, d: 13.39, CV: 31.5%) in Kuzakicho and 25% lower than that (M: 24.0g, S: 4.99, CV: 20.8%) in Mori-district, Iidakacho. Intake of calcium appeared to be satisfactory (M: 0.62g, d: 0.073, CV: 11.8%) in Kuzakicho, but was 23% lower (M: 0.47g, δ: 0.14, CV: 29.8%) in Mori-district, Iidakacho. Carbohydrate and salt intakes were higher in Mori-district than in Kuzakicho.
2) A large amount of fish, shellfish, seaweeds and beans were taken in Kuzakicho seemed to be recommendable, however, in Mori-district an excess amount of sweets, cakes and pickled vegetables was observed.

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An investigation was made on the food taste degree of both 3-year-old 200 boys and 200 girls and their respective 400 mothers by adopting a questionaire in 7 health clinic centers located in the southern districts of Osaka prefecture during the summer (June to August), 1971.
Statistics of the food taste degree were formed by classifying into 4 items: “like (+2)”, “ordinary (+1)”, “eat reluctantly (-1)”, “dislike=never eat (-2)” on about 36 kinds of most frequent-daily-eaten-food.
The results obtained were as follows:
(1) The food taste degree per child with his (or her) mother was.
about 27.4 points for the boy group
about 30.3 points for the girl group
37.2 points about boy's mother's group
39.6 points about girl's mother's group.
Therefore, it was recognized that there was a significant difference and a significant correlation between children group and their mothers' group about the food taste degree per person as well as the food taste degree distribution of the food taste degree per person.
(2) Regarding the degree of food taste per person of about 36 kinds of food, a significant difference was recognized only between the boys and their mothers. And, also a significant correlation was also recognized both between the boys and the girls group and between the children group and their mothers' group.
As for the food taste degree distribution consisting of the food taste degree per person, a significant difference was recognized about 4 kinds of food, such as butter-margarine, mayonnaise, leek (onion), tomatoes between boys and girls and all 35 kinds of food, except chicken, between the children group and their mother group. Further, a significant correlation was recognized about minus (-) food only between boy's and their mothers' group, among mother's group, and between children group and mothers' group.

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