Intracellular histidine content of various tissues (brain, striated muscle and liver) in experimental chronic renal failure.

Intracellular histidine levels were determined in brain, striated muscle and liver of rats with chronic renal insufficiency (5/6-nephrectomy) and compared both with normal rats and food-restricted (pair-fed) animals. There was no difference in plasma histidine concentration of the three groups whereas in the brain of the uremic rats histidine was significantly increased. Since there existed no alteration of the cerebral histidine in the corresponding pair-fed group, the finding of a raised histidine level in the renal insufficient rats seems to be due to a specific uremic disorder caused by a cerebral disturbance in histidine metabolism.