Abstract
The experiments tabulated below give evidence that the anemic dog can use valine to aid in the building of new hemoglobin. Moreover the dog can use the optical isomer (antipode) as well as the naturally occurring amino acid (d-form). It has been reported 1 that histidine and phenylalanine react as does valine. It is generally believed that before the optical isomer can be utilized in the body it must be deaminized and perhaps be recast in the natural form. A variety of mechanisms could come into play to explain the observations relating to the optical isomers. 2 When these observations were reviewed with Dr. Rose, he raised the question as to the related fatty acids. The experiments below indicate that isovaleric acid can at times be used by the anemic dog in building new hemoglobin under the conditions of these experiments.
The technical procedures related to these experiments have been fully described 3 and the preparation of the basal ration (salmon bread) has been reviewed. Pure crystalline amino acids were used m these experiments. These anemic dogs are standardized over a period of years and their response in hemoglobin production to various factors well established. The control figures are given in Table I not only for the standard feeding of liver but for iron in 40 mg doses per day. The standard salmon bread used in all but 2 experiments contained 3 mg Fe per 100 g as fed. The 2 experiments under d-valine, Table I (Dogs 35-7 and 32-5) were carried out with a salmon bread which contained approximately 9 mg Fe per 100 g and this accounts for the high output on the salmon bread alone. Under these experimental conditions we consider a production of 10 g hemoglobin over and above the control basal bread output to be significant.
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