Splanchnic extraction of phenylalanine in mature mares was not affected by threonine supplementation.

This study determined splanchnic extraction of phenylalanine at two intakes of threonine. Six Thoroughbred mares were supplemented with isonitrogenous amounts of either threonine or glutamate. Dietary threonine intakes were 119 (+Thr) and 58 (Basal) mg/kg/day, respectively. Each horse received each diet twice and each was studied once with an oral and once with an intravenous (IV) infusion of [1-(13)C]phenylalanine. A 2-h primed, constant IV infusion of [(13)C]sodium bicarbonate and a 4-h primed, constant infusion of [1-(13)C]phenylalanine, either orally or IV, were used to measure isotopic enrichments. Phenylalanine kinetics were not affected by diet (P > 0.05). Values for the splanchnic extraction of phenylalanine were 26 ± 5% and 27 ± 3% for the +Thr and Basal supplemented diets, respectively. These values will improve the accuracy of future equine indicator amino acid oxidation studies.