Quantification of lysine dynamics in the Japanese quail

To cockerels of the Japanese quail four graduated flooding doses of 14C-labelled L-lysine (20-160 mg) in starch gel were administered into the crop. The animals were slaughtered between 40 and 210 min thereafter. The TCA soluble fraction of the gastrointestinal tract, of blood plasma, liver and muscle were analyzed for their lysine content and its specific radioactivity. Incorporation of radioactivity into the TCA insoluble fraction of the same organs was also followed. After quantification of lysine losses by catabolism and excretion a multicompartment model of lysine dynamics in the quail was set up. Model parameter values in general agree with independently obtained data. The necessity of model validation and extension as well as possibilities for model applications are pointed out.