Zur Probenchemie von Stickstoffverbindungen für die emissionsspektrometrische Isotopenanalyse des Stickstoffs

Determining of nitrogen absorption and nitrogen secretion in different sections of the pig's intestine by digesta exchange between 15N labelled and unlabelled animals

In an experiment with 3 pigs (initial live weight 30 kg, each fitted with 2 re-entrant fistulas in duodenum and ileum, one labelled with 15N), the duodenal and ileum digesta was exchanged. The N and 15N contents were estimated in faeces, urine, duodenal and ileum digesta of all experimental animals as well as in special organs and in the contents of different tract sections. The 15N excess (15N') of N compounds secreted into the gut lumen was determined using the 15N' in pancreas, gut mucosa and TCA-soluble blood serum. From measuring the digesta passage through the 3 sections of the digestive tract: 1. mouth ... duodenum, 2. duodenum ... ileum, 3. ileum ... after (Krawielitzki et al., 1989) the absorption and secretion rates of nitrogen were calculated. Secretion into the 1st section amounted to 5.3 g N/d (= 15% of intake) and the absorption to approximately 1% of intake. In the 2nd section the corresponding dates were 8.9 resp. 38.6 g N/d (= 25 resp. 110% of N intake), and in the 3rd one 1.9 resp. 8.4 g N/d (= 5.6 resp. 24% of N intake). Total absorption amounted to 134% of N intake and the over all re-absorption of endogenous N compounds secreted into the gut lumen to about 90%. During the passage the amount of endogenous N (g/d) decreased from 5.3 at the duodenum to 3.8 at the ileum to 1.6 in the faeces, but the relative portion increased (13 resp. 35 resp. 39%). An incorporation into body proteins occurred only from N compounds absorbed in the 1st and in the 2nd section. N (or 15N) absorbed in the large intestine was almost quantitatively excreted by urine. The method of digesta exchange between cannulated labelled and unlabelled pigs seems to be a suitable method to estimate absorption and secretion of exogenous and endogenous N portions in various sections of the digestive tract.

[15N tracer kinetics of the utilization of yeast nitrogen]

The utilization of nitrogen from 15N-labeled Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells was studied in 6 infants by means of oral pulse labeling, comparing native and heat-treated yeast cells. The 15N dose used was 3 mg/kg. The body weight of the subjects varied between 5500 and 9400 g. The yeast cells were harvested from a culture medium which contained 15N ammonium chloride as the only source of nitrogen. The 15N-enrichment of the cells amounted to 95 atom-%. In the course of 48 h following the administration of the native yeast cells, 11% of the tracer dose were renally excreted. The corresponding value after labeling with heat-treated yeast cells was 17.9%. The cumulative renal excretion of the tracer tended to be faster as compared with pulse labeling of the native yeast cells. A paired comparison with labeled native and heated yeast cells in 3 subjects did not reveal any differences in the retention rate of 15N. When untreated 15N yeast cells were administered, 13.2% of the tracer dose were excreted in the urine and 10% respectively in the faeces. The retention was 76.8%. After single pulse labeling with 3 mg 15N/kg from heat-treated yeast cells the corresponding values were 19.4%, 4.4% and 76.2%, respectively. The kinetic of the renal 15N excretion points at the partial absorption of the yeast nitrogen from the colon.

[Kinetic parameters of protein metabolism in rats on protein-free diets]

16 male rats of 100 g live weight were given 50 mg of a mixture containing 15N labelled amino acids as a single dose within a protein-free feeding period. Following this the 15N excretion in faeces and urine as well as the development of the 15N excess in different organs and tissues were estimated over 3 days by slaughtering the animals within given 7 time intervals. Using a 3 pool model and the computer program for the interpretation of 15N tracer experiments by Töwe et al. (1984), kinetic parameters such as the rate of protein synthesis, protein breakdown and the rate of reutilization were calculated. Despite a negative N balance (-41.8 mg N/d) under protein-free conditions the protein metabolism of the rat shows high dynamics characterized by a high flux rate (225 mg N/d) and a high rate of body protein synthesis (181 mg/d). The reutilization was 85%. Depending on time the 15N excess in the tested organs and tissues showed significant differences and seems to demonstrate that under these conditions protein synthesis mainly takes place in the most important organs (e.g. intestinal tract, liver). Under protein-free feeding conditions protein synthesis and protein breakdown of the whole body seems to be slightly increased in comparison to N balanced feeding conditions.

[Metabolism-oriented determination of amino-acid requirement by means of catabolic rates of 14C- and 15N-labelled lysine under maintenance]

Male Wistar rats (of 60 g live weight) allotted in 10 groups were fed diets with gradually increasing lysine levels ranging from 1.4 to 7.4 g lysine/16 g N. Feed intake was restricted so much that the experimental animals did not change their live weights during the last 3 days of the 8-day experiment period. On the 7th experimental day, 4 animals of each group were injected i.p. 14-C-L-lysine, the 14CO2-excretion being subsequently measured over a period of 2 hours. On the next day, 6 animals of each group were applied an i.p. injected of 15N-L-lysine, the urine being collected over the following 24-hour period to measure the 15N-frequency. Applying both labelling methods, an increased catabolisation of the amino acid was observed after the metabolically necessary lysine requirement had been covered. The methods are very sensitive and revealed, under the experimental conditions chosed, a lysine requirement coverage of about 3 g lysine/16 g N. The possibility of using also 15N-labelled compounds in the metabolism-oriented amino acid requirement determination is likely to facilitate the transfer of the methodology to farm animals and would thus allow to study the amino acid requirement of man. The metabolism-oriented amino acid requirement determination will likewise allow to estimate exact amino acid requirement data under conditions that cannot be rated on the basis of productive yields.

[Studies on the protein and amino acid metabolism of laying hens receiving 15N-labelled casein. 5. 15N incorporation into different blood fractions and into the amino acids lysine, histidine and arginine contained in these fractions]

4 colostomizted laying hens were fed 15N labelled casein as a sole source of protein for a period of 6 days. The birds were slaughtered 2 or 6 days after receiving 15N dose. The blood was separated into corpuscular blood components and blood plasma. Then, the amount and content of nitrogen in the blood, the blood fractions and in the amino acids lysine, histidine and arginine and the excess of 15N atom% (15N') were estimated. The average N concentrationin the blood was 3.8%. The crude protein in the blood corpuscles contained 8.7% lysine, 7.1% histidine and 6.4% arginine; the corresponding values for crude plasma protein were 6.3%, 2.2% and 5.7%. The 15N atom% in blood nitrogen was found to be lower in the hens slaughtered 144 hrs after receiving the last 15N dose than in the birds already slaughtered after 48 hrs. The same trend was found for the plasma proteins. The level of excess 15N atom% in the blood corpuscles increased with the length of time elapsing after the withdrawal of 15N casein (over the period of time investigated); a decrease of excess 15N atom% in plasma lysine was noted, however, for the investigated period of time after the last 15N dose. In the corpuscular blood components a higher level of 15N atom% was usually found in histidine relative to that in lysine and arginine; it was higher in the hens slaughtered 6 days after receiving the final 15N dose than in the hens killed 2 days after administration of the last 15N dose.