A. R. Kemmerer

Plasma levels of free amino acids in normal subjects compared with patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Summary Microbiological determinations of plasma values for arginine, glycine, histidine, lysine, phenylalanine, serine, and threonine have been determined in a group of normal individuals and compared with the values obtained from patients with rheumatoid arthritis. 1. The values obtained for arginine, histidine, and threonine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis were lower than those obtained from the normal group. These differences were highly significant 11 . 2. The values for glycine, lysine, phenylalanine and serine were not significantly different in the group with rheumatoid arthritis from those found in the group of normal individuals.

Urinary excretion of certain amino acids during ACTH and cortisone treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

Summary and conclusions Rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with ACTH showed a highly significant increase in urinary free threonine, lysine, and tyrosine as determined as the average and maximum 24-hour excretion. Cortisone-treated patients excreted a highly significant amount of threonine and tyrosine at the maximum, but lysine was not increased significantly. Arginine excretion was not significantly affected by either ACTH or Cortisone. Supplementary medication did not affect significantly the responses of the patients to ACTH or Cortisone, chemically or clinically. Clinical improvement in all patients was both subjective and objective. The cause of the increase in urinary excretion of the amino acids herein reported is not known and may or may not be associated directly with the metabolic changes brought about by the remission of rheumatoid arthritis.

Apparent Free Histidine Plasma and Urine Values in Rheumatoid Arthritis Treated with Cortisone and ACTH.

Summary 1. Five rheumatoid arthritics treated with Cortisone and 10 treated with ACTH show a striking increase in urinary excretion of apparent free histidine. This increase in histidine urinary excretion has to date occurred only in association with clinical remission. 2. Plasma levels were not significantly altered during the average treatment period, but the maximum value reached during treatment showed a significant increase when compared with the highest control values.

Effect of a minimal fluoride diet on rats.

Summary The feeding of a minimal fluoride (< 0.005 ppm F) diet for a 10-week period to weanling rats demonstrated significantly lower levels of bone fluoride compared to the control group receiving the minimal diet plus 2 ppm fluorine. Serum and liver enzymes activities were determined, and the only significant differences noted were an increase in serum isocitric dehydrogenase and a decrease in activity of this enzyme in the liver.

Effect of Sterculia foetida oil on uptake of water by the avian egg yolk.

Summary The yolks of eggs from hens having a one-egg clutch average took up significantly more water than those from hens having 2-4 egg clutch sizes. Yolks from hens having 2, 3, and 4 egg clutch, sizes showed no significant differences in water uptake. Yolks from eggs stored overnight and from hens given Sterculia foetida oil were not significantly heavier and did not take up more water than eggs from hens given corn oil. However, when the eggs were stored one month the yolks from the hens fed Sterculia foetida oil increased 20% in weight and showed an 80% greater water uptake than those from the corn oil fed hens.