BACKGROUND A C-to-A nucleotide transversion (T1405N) in the gene that encodes carbamoyl-phosphate synthetase 1 (CPS1) has been associated with changes in plasma concentrations of L-arginine in term and near term infants but not in adults. In preterm infants homozygosity for the CPS1 Thr1405 variant (CC genotype) was associated with an increased risk of having necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Pl...

The objective of the present study was prospectively and randomly to evaluate the role of L-arginine in improving uterine and follicular Doppler flow and in improving ovarian response to gonadotrophin in poor responder women. A total of 34 patients undergoing assisted reproduction was divided in two groups according to different ovarian stimulation protocols: (i) flare-up gonadotrophin-releasin...

Reverse cholesterol transport (RCT) is a mechanism critical to the anti-atherogenic property of HDL. Although citrulline contributes to the amelioration of atherosclerosis via endothelial nitric oxide production, it remains unclear whether it affects RCT. This study was undertaken to clarify the effects of citrulline on expressions of specific transporters such as ATP binding cassette transport...

BACKGROUND Acute radiation enteritis is a common adverse effect related to radiotherapy (RT). Glutamine is an immune modulator and antioxidant amino acid that can exert a protective role in patients receiving abdominal or pelvic radiation. The aim of this study was to test if glutamine prevents radiation enteritis during RT. MATERIALS AND METHODS Double-blind, randomized, controlled trial inc...

A chemically defined medium was devised in order to study the requirements for fortimicin A production by Micromonospora olivoasterospora KY 11515. Soluble starch was the best carbon source; NH4Cl and NH4NO3 were suitable nitrogen sources both for the growth and fortimicin production. Amino acids such as L-asparagine, L-aspartic acid and L-glutamic acid showed some stimulatory effects on both g...

Mycoplasma salivarium produced citrulline, ammonia, and ATP from N-benzoylglycyl-L-arginine. The activity was inhibited by EDTA and was therefore concluded to be due to an arginine-specific carboxypeptidase. The activity was also found to exist in M. orale, M. buccale, M. faucium, and M. hominis.

Arginine deiminase (EC 3.5.3.6) catalyzes the hydrolysis of l-arginine to citrulline and ammonium ion, which is the first step of the microbial l-arginine degradation pathway. The deiminase conserves the active-site Cys-His-Asp motif found in several related enzymes that catalyze group-transfer reactions from the guanidinium center of arginine-containing substrates. For each of these enzymes, n...

OBJECTIVES Some pathologic situations such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome are associated with alternation in nitric oxide level. Incidence of these condition increases with aging. On the other hand, insulin secretion is modulated by nitric oxide, and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity is also altered in diabetes. In this study, modification in the enzyme activity associated with aging and...

BACKGROUND Ankle-brachial index (ABI) and ankle blood pressure (BP) are associated with increased carotid wave reflection (augmentation index, AIx). Oral L-citrulline and L-arginine from synthetic or watermelon sources have reduced brachial BP, aortic BP, and aortic AIx. A directly measured carotid AIx (cAIx) rather than aortic AIx has been proposed as a better measurement of central AIx. We ev...

We read with interest the recent article by Adam et al. (1) suggesting an action of metformin on citrulline metabolism in patients with type 2 diabetes. This study provides compelling evidence that metformin treatment is associated with a decrease in plasma citrulline in these patients and also in multiple tissues in diabetic mice. The authors speculate that high citrulline may be associated wi...