Catabolism of arginine and ornithine in the perfused rat liver: effect of dietary protein and of glucagon.

The rates of oxidation of arginine and ornithine that occurred through a reaction pathway involving the enzyme ornithine aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.13) were determined using (14)C-labeled amino acids in the isolated nonrecirculating perfused rat liver. At physiological concentrations of these amino acids, their catabolism is subject to chronic regulation by the level of protein consumed in the diet. (14)CO(2) production from [U-(14)C]ornithine (0.1 mM) and from [U-(14)C]arginine (0.2 mM) was increased about fourfold in livers from rats fed 60% casein diets for 3-4 days. The catabolism of arginine in the perfused rat liver, but not that of ornithine, is subject to acute regulation by glucagon (10(-7) M), which stimulated arginine catabolism by approximately 40%. Dibutyryl cAMP (0.1 mM) activated arginine catabolism to a similar extent. In retrograde perfusions, glucagon caused a twofold increase in the rate of arginine catabolism, suggesting an effect of glucagon on arginase in the perivenous cells.