Table 3.

Effects of l-arginine or N-carbamylglutamate (NCG) supplementation on adenylate purines in the liver of intrauterine growth retarded suckling lambs¹.

Item	Groups2				SEM	P-value
	CON	IUGR	IUGR+1%Arg	IUGR+0.1%NCG
ATP, μg/g wet wt	108a	61.4c	84.1b	82.0b	5.95	0.007
ADP, μg/g wet wt	139	71.1	99.3b	103b	9.11	0.010
AMP, μg/g wet wt	183a	136c	151b	159b	11.24	0.013
AMP-to-ATP ratio	1.69c	2.24a	1.83b	1.92b	0.171	0.005
TAN3, μg/g wet wt	431a	269c	335b	344b	14.32	0.009
AEC4	0.43a	0.35b	0.40ab	0.39ab	0.012	0.021

ATP = adenosine triphosphate; ADP = adenosine diphosphate; AMP = adenosine monophosphate; TAN = total adenine nucleotide; AEC = adenylate energy charge.

^a,b,c Mean values within a row with different superscript letters were significantly different (P < 0.05).

¹Mean values with their SEM, n = 12 in each group.

²CON: the normal birth weight group given a control diet; IUGR: intrauterine growth retardation group given a control diet; IUGR+1% Arg: intrauterine growth retardation group given a 1% l-arginine-supplemented diet; IUGR+0.1%NCG: intrauterine growth retardation group given a 0.1% N-carbamylglutamate-supplemented diet.

³TAN = ATP + ADP + AMP.

⁴AEC = (ATP + 0.5 ADP)/(ATP + ADP + AMP).