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Transamidinase Activities in Vitro of Kidneys from Tumor-Bearing Mice and Rats Fed Diets Supplemented with Protein or Certain Amino Acids^*

( Department of Biochemistry, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota)

Some aspects of the alteration of kidney transamidinase activities by rapidly growing tumors have been investigated. Transamidinase activities, in vitro, were determined in kidneys from normal and tumor-bearing animals fed diets supplemented individually with arginine, glycine, creatine, and protein. These dietary constituents were chosen because each had been previously reported to have a great effect on the amount of transamidinase activity in the kidney. Kidneys from tumor-bearing mice and rats fed normal diets had lower activities than those from the tumor-free animals fed the same diet. The activities of kidneys from both normal and tumor-bearing mice fed a creatine-enriched diet were lower than the activities of kidneys from comparable animals fed a normal diet. Both tumor-bearing and tumor-free mice fed a creatine-plus glycine-enriched diet had greater kidney transamidinase activities than did comparable mice fed a creatine-enriched diet. Kidneys from tumor-bearing animals fed diets supplemented individually with protein, glycine, or arginine had activities similar to those of kidneys from tumor-bearing animals fed a normal diet. The data are interpreted to indicate that creatine, reported to be present in large amounts in the blood and urine of tumor-bearing animals, was not responsible for the low kidney transamidinase activities of tumor-bearing animals.

^* These studies were supported in part by a grant from the American Cancer Society, Minnesota Division, Fluid Fund, and by grant No. A-2731 from the National Institute of Arthritis and Metabolic Diseases, National Institutes of Health, U. S. Public Health Service.

Received 9/ 4/63.