In the biochemical aspect of energy utilization in the heart muscle, it would be of much value to know myocardial protein metabolism. Myocardial metabolism of protein is so closely related to that of amino acids, of which heart muscle protein is composed, that myocardial metabolism of amino acids must be taken into account. Little work, however, has been done to study the practical significance of individual amino acids in the heart muscle. The main purpose of this study is to disclose myocardial metabolism of individual amino acids. Thus the experiment was designed to observe the following events : (1) normal myocardial metabolism of amino acids in the heart-lung preparation of dogs, (2) effects of administration of glutamic acid and alanine on myocardial metabolism, (3) metabolism of
14C labelled glutamic acid and
14C labelled alanine in the heart-lung preparation of guinea pigs, (4) concentration of free amino acids and activity of transaminases in the heart and skeletal muscles of rabbits, and (5) change in myocardial metabolism of amino acids under various conditions in the heart muscle homogenate of dogs and rabbits. Materials and Methods A series of experiments was done in dogs, rabbits and guinea pigs. Measurements of amino acids in the present experiment were done as follows : Total amino acid nitrogen was measured according to the method of ALBANESE and IRBY. Individual free amino acids, separated by the procedure of high voltage paper electro-phoresis, were estimated by the colorimetry, with a standard color of 10γ of glutamic acid. Glutamine was determined by the method of IBER and BRUTON. For the determination of transaminase activity the colorimetric method of CABAUD, LEEPER & WROBLEWSKI was used for glutamic oxalacetic transaminase (GOT), and that of WROBLEWSKI & CABAUD for glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT). Experimental procedures were as follows : (1) Experiments in heart-lung preparation. Free amino acids, glucose, lactate, pyruvate and fatty acids in the perfused blood were measured 5, 30, and 60 min. after establishing stable circulation in the heart-lung preparation of dogs, either with being kept blood glucose in a normal level or without. The same procedures were done following the addition of 25 ml of 1 % glutamic acid solution or 25 ml of 1% alanine solution in to the perfused blood.
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