Amino Acids and Hemoglobin Production in Anemia

Abstract

Certain individual amino acids when given to standard anemic dogs cause an increase in new hemoglobin production. Occasional negative experiments are recorded. Glycine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, cystine, histidine, phenylalanine, and proline when given in 1 gm. doses daily for 2 weeks, increase hemoglobin output on the average 23 to 25 gm. above the control level. This reaction amounts to 25 to 30 per cent of the new hemoglobin produced by the feeding of 300 gm. liver daily for 2 weeks—a standard liver test. Alanine, valine, isoleucine, and arginine in the same dosage increase the hemoglobin output on the average 13 to 17 gm. per 2 weeks over the control level. Leucine, methionine, lysine, tryptophane, and tyrosine fall in a middle group with hemoglobin output of about 20 gm. Isovaleric acid, ß-hydroxybutyric acid, glutaric acid, and asparagine have shown positive effects and the butyrate is unusually potent for hemoglobin production (Table 2). The isomeric and dl-synthetic forms of the amino acids are as effectively utilized in this reaction as are the natural forms.

Hematin compounds and bile pigments; their constitution, metabolism, and function, by R. Lemberg and J.W. Legge.

“…These experiments prove that the ability of the animal body to synthesize the porphyrin nucleus is far in excess of its normal need. So far no conditions have been discovered in which the synthesis of the porphyrin nucleus becomes the limiting factor of hemoglobin formation (3061). From this it can be concluded that the actual precursors from which the porphyrin ring is formed must be relatively simple compounds, universally present in the animal body in large amounts.…”

Plasma and red cell iron turnover in protein calorie malnutrition.

“…Whipple and Robscheit-Robbins (1940), using standard anaemic dogs, found convincing evidence of the importance of adequate protein supply in the synthesis of haemoglobin. Similarly Mertz et al (1948) and Nizet and Lambert (1954) reported that proteins of high biological value were important for normal erythropoiesis.…”

Treatment of Anemia Owing to Increased Menstrual Blood Loss: Activity of Physiological Modulators

“…The only experiment reported in literature describing the activity of a combination of iron and amino acids to treat anemia was carried out in dogs made chronically anemic through phlebotomy [36].…”