Nucleic acid metabolism in the ruminant

Abstract

1. Concentrations of nucleic acid nitrogen and other nitrogenous constituents were estimated in digesta taken from the proximal duodenum of calves which were given, either, one of a number of stall diets or pasture. These concentrations were compared, using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a non-absorbed marker, with corresponding concentrations in rumen fluid and ileal contents.2. There was little net change in amounts of RNA or DNA between rumen and duodenum relative to PEG, but there was a marked increase in amounts of total-N. In duodenal digesta, for any one animal given most diets, nucleic acid-N formed a fairly constant percentage (8–11 for different animals) of the total non-ammonia-N. This value was lower (by about 3) than the corresponding percentage in rumen fluid. Comparison of nucleic acid-N: total-N ratios in duodenal contents and bacteria suggested that, for these diets, about 40–55% of the non-ammonia-N in duodenal contents was of microbial origin.3. During passage of digesta between the duodenum and ileum the mean percentage disappearances of total-N, RNA and DNA were estimated to be about 67, 85 and 75 respectively. There was evidence that these values varied with the amounts of the constituents entering the duodenum.4. Ammonia was absorbed in the omasum-abomasum only when concentrations in rumen fluid were high (40 mM), but even moderate concentrations of ammonia entering the duodenum (3 mM) were efficiently absorbed (about 90%) in the small intestine.