The concentration of glutamine increases in the brain after hepatectomy. In the present studies the conversion of intravenously given [14C]acetate to [14C]glutamate and [14C]glutamine was studied in control rats and in rats at 6 h after complete hepatectomy. The incorporation of label into glutamate was only slightly inhibited, but the further incorporation into glutamine was greatly inhibited, after hepatectomy. These data, and previous data using [14C]glucose as precursor, indicate that synthesis of glutamine in brain is inhibited after hepatectomy, and suggest that its concentration must increase because degradation is inhibited to an even greater extent.

Today pharmacologic and chemical tests are helpful in screening a relatively large number of patients for pheochromocytoma and are a definite aid to a correct diagnosis. No one test is infallible, and knowledge concerning the drugs used or the manner in which the blood and urine are collected, or both, is necessary to avoid a false-positive or false-negative result from the tests.

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