Abstract
IN previous communications from this laboratory, the synthesis of urea-14C from arginine-14C was reported to occur in the living rat brain1,2. In these experiments only the rat brains were analysed for their radioactive urea content, and the objection was raised that perhaps these levels did not indicate endogenous brain urea synthesis, but were merely a reflexion of blood 14C-urea levels, especially since it is known that urea readily diffuses across the blood brain barrier. Experiments were therefore designed to show that the brain 14C-urea levels were independent of blood 14C-urea levels and that the brain had the capacity to synthesize urea from arginine. This communication describes such experiments.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Sporn, M. B., Dingman, W., Defalco, A., and Davies, R. K., J. Neurochem., 5, 62 (1959).
Sporn, M. B., Dingman, W., Defalco, A., and Davies, R. K., Nature, 183, 1520 (1959).
Toennies, G., and Kolb, J. J., J. Anal. Chem., 23, 823 (1951).
Berry, H. K., Sutton, H. E., Cain, L., and Berry, J. S., Univer. of Texas Publication 5109, 22 (1951).
Zilversmit, D. B., Entenman, C., and Fishler, M. C., J. Gen. Physiol., 26, 352 (1943).
Ratner, et al., Archiv. Biochem. and Biophys., 91, 280 (1960).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
DAVIES, R., DEFALCO, A., SHANDER, D. et al. Urea Synthesis in the Living Rat Brain. Nature 191, 288 (1961). https://doi.org/10.1038/191288a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/191288a0
This article is cited by
-
Mice Lacking Urea Transporter UT-B Display Depression-Like Behavior
Journal of Molecular Neuroscience (2012)
-
Über die Bestimmung des Harnstoffumsatzes in vivo
Klinische Wochenschrift (1965)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.