[Short-term effect of arginine hydrochloride on amino acid concentrations in serum of the rat].

The short-period effect of a parenteral application of arginine hydrochloride on the amino acid concentrations was investigated on rats. To enable a judgement to be made on the growth hormone stimulated through arginine, 23 amino acids were determined from the serum of non-hypophysectomized and hypophysectomized animals in each case. A group of non-hypophysectomized rats was used to determine the normal values. The second group of non-hypophysectomized animals showed reductions in the concentrations of 15 amino acids after arginine infusion in relation to the normal values. In contrast to this the hypophysectomized animals of the third group showed higher values for 14 of the 23 amino acids after infusion with arginine. A direct comparison of the groups of non-hypophysectomized and hypophysectomized rats after infusion with arginine hydrochloride resulted in higher concentrations of 17 amino acids in the group of the hypophysectomized animals. These results suggest that the growth hormone has an influence on the amino acid level within 30 minutes.