The content of free amino acids in plasma of hens of different strains

[The metabolism of colostomised laying hens with 15N-labelled wheat. 4. 15N-Incorporation in the corpuscular components of blood, in the blood plasma and the basic amino acids]

Three colostomised Laying hybrids received over four days a dosage of 672 mg 15N-excess (15N'), 20.3 mg lysine 15N', 23.0 mg histidine-15N' and 66.7 mg arginine-15N' with a ration customary in production. After feeding the same nonlabelled ration for another four days the hens were killed and the N-content of the blood as well as of its fractions (corpuscular components, plasma, free amino acids of the plasma) was determined.

Effect of starvation on the content of free amino acids in plasma of different breeds of hen

'Leghorn', 'Cornish' and 'White Rock' hens were subjected to starvation. Free amino acids were determined in blood samples taken after 48, 72 and 96 h of starvation. A progressive decrease in concentration of the majority of amino acids was found. Changes in amino acid concentrations during starvation were dependent on the breed of hen.

Effect of giving insulin and adrenalin alternately on changes in the level of blood glucose in chickens of different breeds

Differences in reaction to exogenous insulin and adrenalin were studied among chickens of 'Leghorn', 'White Rock' and 'Rhode Island Red' breeds, using level of blood glucose as indicator of the reaction to hormones. It was found that: 1.) The physiological quantity of glucose in blood in chickens of the three breeds ranged from 157 to 194 mg %. 2.) The reaction of chickens to insulin and adrenalin given alternately, measured by changes of blood glucose, differed according to the breed. The smallest reaction to hormones was in 'Leghorn', the biggest in 'White Rock'. 3.) The chickens of 'Leghorn' and 'Rhode Island Red' breeds, as well as 'Leghorn' and 'White Rock' breeds, differed significantly in maximal glucose level after adrenalin, 4.) The correlation between the normal quantity of blood glucose and the body weight of birds appeared highly significant in cockerels of all three races combined.

The level of free amino acids in erythrocytes of different breeds of hen

The content of free amino acids was determined in erythrocytes of adult 'Leghorn' (Lg, 'White Rock' (WR) and 'Cornish' (Cr) hens, bred under identical conditions. The concentration of total amino acids was twice as high in the erythrocytes as in plasma, amounting to 396 μm/100 ml, 424 μm/100 ml and 475μm/100 ml in 'White Rock', 'Cornish' and 'Leghorn' hens, respectively.Significant differences were found in the ratio of basic amino acids to acidic amino acids. These values were 0.76, 1.75 and 3.19 in 'White Rick', 'Leghorn' and 'Cornish' hens, respectively; in the plasma of all 3 breeds the ratio was 1. Statistically significant interbreed differences were expressed more distinctly in erythrocyte than in plasma amino acid concentrations. For absolute concentrations the differences were significant in the case of 9 amino acids.