Renal metabolic response to acid-base changes: II. The early effects of metabolic acidosis on renal metabolism in the rat

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Abstract

The early renal metabolic response was studied in rats made acidotic by oral feeding of ammonium chloride. 2 hr after feeding of ammonium chloride there was already significant acidosis. Urinary ammonia also increased after ammonium chloride ingestion and at 1½ hr was significantly elevated. In vitro gluconeogenesis by renal cortical slices was increased at 2 hr and thereafter increased steadily. Ammonia production by the same slices was also increased at 2 hr, but thereafter fell and at 6 hr had decreased to levels which, although higher than those of the control, were lower than those obtained from the rats acidotic for only 2 hr. There was no correlation between in vitro gluconeogenesis and ammonia production by kidney slices from rats during the first 6 hr of acidosis, but after 48 hr of ammonium chloride feeding, these two processes were significantly correlated. The early increase in renal gluconeogenesis was demonstrable with both glutamine and succinate as substrates.

Authors

George A. O. Alleyne