Effects of Citrulline Administration on Enzymes of Liver and Brain in Rats

Abstract

Intraperitoneal administration of citrulline (30 mg/kg body weight) for three days to rats brought about an increase in the activity of hepatic ornithine-aminotransferase without any change in glutamine-synthetase activity. In the brain of the same animals, the activity of the glutamine synthetase in cerebellum and brain stem increased significantly. In cerebral hemispheres the activity of ornithine aminotrans-ferase was increased without a change in glutamine-synthetase activity. Under these conditions, there is a rise in the content of glutamine, citrulline, arginine and ornithine in all the three regions of the brain.