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Orotic Aciduria in the Female Rat and Its Relation to Dietary Arginine¹

Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853

Metabolic abnormalities in arginine deficient female rats are similar to those previously observed in males. Increased excretion of orotic acid and citric acid was observed in both immature and mature arginine deficient female rats. Although urea excretion was unchanged in the immature females, it was depressed in mature females fed the arginine deficient diet. Arginine deficiency depressed urinary ammonia independently of age, weight and feed consumption. Nonpregnant rats showed significantly reduced quantities of citrate in their urine if their purified 12% casein diet was supplemented with 1.0% arginine. Urinary urea, citric acid, and orotic acid increased during gestation when a 12% casein basal diet was fed. Addition of 1.0% arginine abolished the increase in urinary excretion of citrate. Arginine supplementation also reduced orotic acid excretion during late gestation (days 16 to 18) and early lactation. Mean body weight gains exclusive of fetuses and placental tissue during gestation were 37 g for rats fed 1% arginine and 2 g for those fed the unsupplemented casein basal diet. Nonpregnant rats fed the casein diet showed considerable daily variation in urinary metabolites with arginine supplementation causing only a reduction in urinary citrate. Urine obtained without respect to age, parity or nutritional history contained higher concentrations of orotic acid from pregnant women than from nonpregnant women and the concentrations increased with duration of pregnancy.

KEY WORDS: • dietary arginine • female rats • orotic aciduria • citric aciduria • pregnancy • urea

¹ Presented in part at the annual meetings of the American Assocition of Animal Science. J. Animal Sci. 39, 218 (1974). Supported in part by USPHS Grant No. HEW PHS 7R01-RD-00838, US/PHS Grant FD 0710 and Illinois Agriculture Research Station 30-15-50-365.

² Present address, J. A. Milner, Assistant Professor (Nutrition). University of Illinois, Department of Food Science, Urbana, Illinois 61801. W. J. Visek, Professor Clinical Nutrition, University of Illinois, School of Basic Medical Sciences and Department of Food Science, Urbana, Illinois 61801.

Manuscript received 22 November 1977.

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