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Effects of Level of Dietary Glutamic Acid and Thiamin on Food Intake, Weight Gain, Plasma Amino Acids, and Thiamin Status of Growing Kittens¹

Departments of Physiological Sciences and Animal Sciences, University of California, Davis, CA 95616

Specific pathogen-free kittens were individually fed purified amino acid diets containing 4.4 mg of thiamin and 3.0, 4.5, 6.0, 9.0 or 12.0% glutamic acid (Glu) in a balanced 5 x 5 latin square design. Kittens fed either the 9.0% followed by the 12.0% glutamate diets or vice versa developed severe clinical signs of thiamin deficiency and two kittens died. Other affected kittens given 5 mg additional thiamin per day for 3 days promptly recovered. In a subsequent experiment, the effect of a diet containing 12.0% glutamic acid with either 4.4 or 25.0 mg thiamin per kilogram diet was compared with a diet containing 3.0% glutamic acid with either 0.0 or 4.4 mg thiamin per kilogram. Kittens fed the diet containing the high level of glutamic acid with 4.4 mg thiamin exhibited depressed food intake and body weight gain and an elevated level of plasma glutamic acid compared to diets containing 3.0% glutamic acid. Red blood cells from this group of kittens also showed a transitory incomplete saturation of transketolase with thiamin pyrophosphate. Kittens fed the high glutamate diets vomited occasionally during the 1st month of the dietary regimen. Although increased thiamin (25 mg/kg diet) decreased the severity of the adverse effects of the high glutamate diet, maximal growth was not obtained in kittens fed the high glutamate, high thiamin diet.

KEY WORDS: • glutamic acid • thiamin deficiency • cats

¹ Supported in part by a gift from Quaker Oats Company, Barrington, IL.

² Present address: Department of Anesthesia, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143.

³ Present address: Caldwell Veterinary Teaching Center, Route 8 Box 215, Caldwell, ID 83605

⁴ Current address, Quaker Oats Company, Barrington, IL.

Manuscript received 15 September 1980.

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