Phenanthrene in Relation to Growth of Rats Maintained on a Low-Casein Diet

Summary

1. Phenanthrene was fed to growing rats which were maintained on a low-casein diet. The growth ceased. It was resumed upon incorporation, into the phenanthrene diet, of 1-cystine, dl-methionine but not taurine. 2. Assumption is made that phenanthrene is detoxicated in the rat to yield a mercapturic acid, the formation of which is responsible, at least in part, for the cessation of growth of rats ingesting phenanthrene.