Table 2.

Plasma amino acid concentration (µmol L⁻¹)

	Control	DIO	DIOcit–stat	DIOstat	DIOcit
Citrulline and related amino acids
Citrulline	49 ± 2	49 ± 3	51 ± 6	46 ± 2	84 ± 19*
Arginine	89 ± 5	94 ± 4	96 ± 11	94 ± 2	134 ± 22*
Ornithine	45 ± 4	35 ± 2*	31 ± 2*	32 ± 1*	52 ± 7$
Glutamine	538 ± 24	521 ± 18	481 ± 17	510 ± 22	472 ± 21
Proline	64 ± 3	62 ± 6	53 ± 3	53 ± 3	87 ± 15*
Branched‐chain amino acids
Valine	242 ± 20	180 ± 8*	145 ± 7*	165 ± 5*	195 ± 11*
Isoleucine	100 ± 6	80 ± 4*	66 ± 4*	79 ± 4*	78 ± 5*
Leucine	185 ± 14	137 ± 7*	111 ± 9*	136 ± 7*	133 ± 10*
Other essential amino acids
Phenylalanine	78 ± 4	66 ± 3.6*	59 ± 3*	63 ± 2.2*	67 ± 3.1*
Methionine	54 ± 3	53 ± 4	43 ± 2	46 ± 2	56 ± 5
Lysine	241 ± 7	251 ± 14	214 ± 9	230 ± 8	256 ± 18
Threonine	182 ± 10	168 ± 13	144 ± 8*	156 ± 8	191 ± 15*
Histidine	61 ± 3	57 ± 3	50 ± 2	55 ± 2	60 ± 4
Other non‐essential amino acidsA
Serine	102 ± 4	103 ± 7	92 ± 4	93 ± 3	126 ± 17*
Asparagine	38 ± 2	35 ± 2	31 ± 1*	33 ± 1.4y	39 ± 2

Results are means ± SEM (n = 10 per group). Dietary interventions: standard diet (control), high fat–high sucrose diet (DIO) and DIO enriched in citrulline (2.5 g∙kg⁻¹) (DIOcit), atorvastatin (10 mg∙kg⁻¹) (DIOstat) or citrulline and atorvastatin (DIOcit–stat).

^A Only non‐essential amino acids significantly altered by the dietary interventions are shown.

^* P < 0.05, significantly different from controls;

^$ P < 0.05, significantly different from control and other DIO groups.