title: Elevation of serum levels of beta-aminoisobutyric acid in uremic patients and the toxicity of the amino acid.
abstract: A reliable method for the determination of beta-aminoisobutyric acid in serum was developed utilizing an automated amino acid analyzer. The serum concentrations of beta-aminoisobutyric acid were determined in 20 normal subjects and in 71 uremic patients. The mean serum level of beta-aminoisobutyric acid was markedly increased in the uremic patients to 0.856 +/- 0.910 (mean +/- SD) mg/100 ml as compared with a normal value of 0.026 +/- 0.027 mg/100 ml. The distribution of serum beta-aminoisobutyric acid level in uremic patients was wide-spread, and there was no correlation between the serum levels of the amino acid and those of urea nitrogen, creatinine and uric acid. The toxicity of beta-aminoisobutyric acid on mice with acute renal failure induced by uranyl acetate was investigated and compared with that of alpha-amino-n-butyric acid and gamma-amino-n-butyric acid. All mice given more than 4 g/kg body wt of beta-aminoisobutyric acid showed twitching and cramps, and some of them died. However, the control mice given an equivalent dose of alpha-amino-n-butyric acid or gamma-amino-n-butyric acid showed no change. These results suggest that beta-aminoisobutyric acid might be a factor influencing the development and progression of uremic toxemia.
mesh_terms: D058186:Acute Kidney Injury / Q000139:chemically induced; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000621:Aminoisobutyric Acids / Q000097:blood* / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D006435:Renal Dialysis; D014511:Uremia / Q000097:blood* / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000621:Aminoisobutyric Acids