Antagonism of arginine by excess dietary lysine in the growing dog

J Nutr. 1985 Jun;115(6):743-52. doi: 10.1093/jn/115.6.743.

Abstract

Experiments were conducted with growing English Pointer puppies to examine the effects of ingesting excess lysine. A purified crystalline amino acid basal diet containing 0.40% L-arginine (the arginine requirement for maximal weight gain) and 0.91% L-lysine was fed in all assays. All diets were kept isonitrogenous by the addition of diammonium citrate, and lysine was supplied as L-lysine acetate. Both weight gain and gain/feed were reduced in the presence of 4% excess dietary lysine. However, 1 and 2% excess supplemental lysine had no effect on performance. In a second experiment, a growth response to supplemental arginine was obtained in the presence, but not in the absence, of a growth-depressing level of lysine (4%). Therefore, lysine appeared to depress growth by antagonizing arginine. The mechanism of the lysine-arginine antagonism was examined in a third experiment. Classic signs of arginine deficiency: orotic aciduria, depressed urea formation, hyperammonemia, a reduction in weight gain, and emesis were observed in puppies consuming excess lysine but not in their pair-fed controls. Excess lysine ingestion neither inhibited nor induced liver arginase, but it did result in a generalized amino aciduria early in the experiment. In addition, lysine did not appear to affect arginine absorption. Therefore, the mechanism behind the lysine-arginine antagonism in the dog remains to be elucidated.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids / blood
  • Amino Acids / urine
  • Animals
  • Arginase / metabolism
  • Arginine / administration & dosage
  • Arginine / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Arginine / metabolism
  • Body Weight / drug effects
  • Diet*
  • Dogs
  • Growth / drug effects
  • Liver / enzymology
  • Liver / metabolism
  • Lysine / administration & dosage
  • Lysine / metabolism
  • Lysine / toxicity*

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Arginine
  • Arginase
  • Lysine