THE CHANGES IN RAT KIDNEY COCARBOXYLASE ASSOCIATED WITH THE INJURIOUS EFFECTS OF dl-SERINE.

When rats on either a stock or a vitamin B deficient diet are given the amino acid dl-serine by stomach tube, there is a fall in the cocarboxylase concentration of the kidney. This organ exhibits marked damage. There is, also, a lessened tendency for cocarboxylase to disappear from the tissue homogenate upon anaerobic incubation in vitro. In animals on the stock diet, only, there is a recovery of the normal cocarboxylase level. The probable relation of these findings to the mechanism of the production of the injurious action of serine is discussed. We would like to acknowledge the helpful criticisms of Dr. C. Artom.