Effects of maleic acid administration on urinary excretion of DCEC, and on tissue protein, in the rat.

Administration of maleic acid to rats caused increased urinary excretion of S-(1,2-dicarboxyethyl)cysteine [DCEC] and increased binding of maleic acid to tissue proteins. The trichloroacetic acid precipitate from a combined fraction of supernatant and microsome gave the maximum amount of DCEC after hydrolysis. It would appear that aminoaciduria produced by maleate was partially due to increased destruction of some succinylated tissue proteins.