Whole body autoradiographic study on the distribution of 14C-D-serine administered intravenously to rats

The distribution of radioactivities in rats following intravenous administration of 14C-D- or -L-serine was investigated by whole body autoradiography. The radioactivities were distributed throughout the whole body in both cases with the greatest amount being found in the pancreas. D- and L- Serine levels in the pancreas were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography with a chiral column which revealed, for the first time, the existence of D-serine in the rat pancreas (12.6 +/- 7.90 nmol/g wet tissue) together with a much higher concentration (924 +/- 116 nmol/g) of L-serine. The results suggested that exogenous D-serine of dietary origin contributed at least in part to the D-serine levels found in mammalian tissues. The accumulation of radioactivity in the kidney, especially in the corticomedullary area, even at 24 hr after administration of 14C-D-serine suggested a possible link between acute necrosis of the renal proximal tubules and the administration of a large dose of D-serine [Am J Pathol 77: 269-282 (1974)].