A M Heindze | PubMed Health

PubMed1984

Application of reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using pre-column derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde for the quantitative analysis of amino acids in adult and fetal sheep plasma, animal feeds and tissues.

The concentration of amino acids in adult and fetal sheep plasma, liver, muscle and animal feeds was determined by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using an automated data acquisition system and pre-column o-phthaldialdehyde derivatization. Of the seventeen amino acids in the standard mixture, fifteen including glycine and threonine were completely resolved in a total analysis time of 50 min. The clear resolution, high degree of precision and accuracy, relatively rapid analysis and the lack of interference from chemical contaminants in feed and tissue hydrolysates render this technique suitable for routine analysis of large numbers of biological samples of nutritional interest.

Aldehydes↗

PubMed1984

Effect of maternal starvation on fetal tissue nucleic acid, plasma amino acid and growth hormone concentration in sheep.

The measurement of nucleic acids in fetal tissues as well as plasma growth hormone and amino acids was used in conjunction with fractional protein synthetic rates to investigate the mechanism of reduced fetal protein synthesis following acute maternal starvation. The nucleic acid analysis of fetal tissues from fed and 48 h starved ewes (120-130 days gestation) demonstrated a significant reduction in kidney RNA and heart DNA concentration in the starved fetuses. The RNA synthetic capacity (RNA/protein) was also seen to decrease in the starved fetuses both for liver and kidney tissue as was the protein/DNA in the lung tissue. Most revealing, however, were the measurements of RNA and DNA activity or the extent to which the protein synthesizing capacity was realized (g protein/g RNA or DNA/day). Significant reductions were observed in liver and brain RNA activity as well as the DNA activity of liver, lung, kidney and muscle. Plasma aminograms demonstrated reductions in maternal histidine, methionine and isoleucine as well as reductions in fetal glutamate and phenylalanine following starvation. Conversely, the fetal growth hormone levels were seen to rise under the influence of maternal starvation. The impact of maternal nutrient deprivation during gestation on fetal metabolism appears to depend on the ontogenic stage of development of specific tissues at the time the deprivation occurs.

Amino Acids↗