Dietary arginine level and 3H-thymidine incorporation into DNA in normal and regenerating liver of weanling rats

Male weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were fed graded amounts of arginine (0.25% - 2%) in a crystalline L-amino acid diet for 10 days. Feed intake was decreased only in the rats receiving 0.25% Arg in the diet. Weight gain and growth efficiency were lower in the rats receiving 0.25% and 0.5% dietary arginine. Orotic acid excretion was elevated 400 fold in the rats receiving less than 1% dietary arginine. Liver weights were not significantly different among groups. DNA concentration/g liver was 10% lower in the rats receiving 0.25% dietary arginine. Rats receiving less than 1% arginine had 17% less RNA/g liver and 77% less 3H-thymidine incorporation into liver DNA. After partial hepatectomy (PH) 3H-thymidine incorporation into liver DNA was increased by 23% on rats receiving 0.5 dietary arginine compared to sham operated controls (SOC) receiving the same diet. Incorporation of 3H-thymidine was unchanged in PH rats as compared with SOC rats receiving 0.25% Arg. These data indicate that at least 1% of dietary arginine is required to maintain normal protein metabolism in growing male rats. There were no significant differences in any of the parameters measured when dietary Arg was 1% or 2% of the diet