Glutamine Extraction Research Articles

Importance of medullary events in ammonium excretion: studies in acute respiratory and acute metabolic acidosis.

The renal medulla can play an important role in acid excretion by modulating both hydrogen ion secretion in the medullary collecting duct and the medullary PNH3. The purpose of these experiments was to characterize the intrarenal events associated with ammonium excretion in acute acidosis. Cortical events were monitored in two ways: first, the rates of glutamine extraction and ammoniagenesis were assessed by measuring arteriovenous differences and the rate of renal blood flow; second, the biochemical response of the ammoniagenesis pathway was examined by measuring glutamate and 2-oxoglutarate, key renal cortical metabolites in this pathway. There were no significant differences noted in any of these cortical parameters between acute respiratory and metabolic acidosis. Despite a comparable twofold rise in ammonium excretion in both cases, the urine pH, PNH3, and the urine minus blood PCO2 difference (U-B PCO2) were lower during acute hypercapnia. In these experiments, the urine PCO2 was 34 mmHg (1 mmHg = 133.322 Pa) lower than that of the blood during acute respiratory acidosis while the U-B PCO2 was 5 +/- 3 mmHg in acute metabolic acidosis. Thus there were significant differences in medullary events during these two conditions. Although the urine pH is critical in determining ammonium excretion in certain circumstances, these results suggest that regional variations in the medullary PNH3 can modify this relationship.

Immediate adaptation of the dog kidney to acute hypercapnia.

Studies were performed to determine whether ammoniagenesis could adapt instantaneously to acidosis in the dog kidney. Following acute respiratory acidosis, renal glutamine extraction rose acutely in dogs with stable renal blood flow but did not change when the renal blood flow fell by more than 25%. Acute hypercapnia immediately increased renal ammonia production in both groups of dogs. The rate of both glutamine extraction and ammonia production in acutely hypercapnic dogs without hemodynamic changes was comparable to the rates observed in dogs with chronic metabolic acidosis. Furthermore, the renal metabolite profile observed in acute hypercapnia was similar to the pattern described in chronic metabolic acidosis, i.e., a marked fall in renal glutamate and alpha-ketoglutarate concentrations and a fivefold increase in malate and oxaloacetate concentrations. In the liver and muscle, acute hypercapnia induced no significant change in glutamine concentration but glutamate and alpha-ketoglutarate concentrations decreased. Our findings demonstrate that the dog kidney can adapt immediately to acidosis but that hemodynamic change may mask this adaptation.

Effects of acute metabolic acidosis on renal, gut, liver, and muscle metabolism of glutamine and ammonia in the dog

Previous studies have shown a rise in arterial glutamine in acute acidosis in the dog. In these experiments glutamine and ammonia metabolism was studied in anesthetized dogs during normal acid-base status and following acute hydrochloric acidosis to determine the mechanism for the rise in arterial glutamine in acidosis. Splanchnic, liver, renal, and hind-half extraction/production were measured by arteriovenous (A-V) sampling and simultaneous blood flow measurements using electromagnetic flow probes. In the normal dog, muscle produced glutamine, and the kidneys, gut, hepatosplanchnic bed, and liver extracted it. Whole blood arterial glutamine rose in acidosis. Renal and muscle glutamine and ammonia extraction/production were unchanged. Gut ammonia release and hepatic ammonia uptake increased by similar amounts in acidosis, but no change in gut glutamine uptake occurred. Hepatic and total hepatosplanchnic glutamine uptake was markedly reduced thereby contributing to the raised arterial glutamine. These results demonstrate that acute metabolic acidosis in the dog-influences marked changes in glutamine extraction and ammonia metabolism across the hepatosplanchnic bed without significant changes in kidney or muscle metabolism.

The effects of chronic metabolic acidosis on liver and muscle glutamine metabolism in the dog in vivo.

1. Chronic HCl acidosis was induced in dogs. 2. Hepatic extraction of glutamine fell compared with normal animals. 3. Muscle glutamine production was unchanged in acidosis. 4. The results are discussed in relation to inter-organ glutamine metabolism in acidosis in vivo.

Renal ammoniagenesis in an early stage of metabolic acidosis in man.

Total renal ammonia production and ammonia precursor utilization were evaluated in patients under normal acid-base balance and in patients with 24-h NH4Cl acidosis by measuring (a) ammonia excreted with urine and that added to renal venous blood, and (b) amino acid exchange across the kidney. In 24-h acidosis not only urinary ammonia excretion is increased, but also total ammonia production is augmented (P less than 0.005) in comparison with controls. By evaluating the individual role of acid-base parameters, urine pH and urine flow in influencing renal ammonia production, it was shown that the degree of acidosis and urine flow are likely major factors stimulating ammoniagenesis. Both urine pH and urine flow are determinant in the preferential shift of ammonia into urine. In 1-d acidosis, renal extraction of glutamine was not increased and the total ammonia produced/glutamine N extracted ratio was higher than in controls (P less than 0.005) and was inversely correlated with the log of arterial bicarbonate concentration (P less than 0.001). In the same condition, renal glycine and ornithine uptake took place; the more severe the acidosis, the greater was the renal extraction of these amino acids (P less than 0.001). These data indicate that at the early stages of metabolic acidosis, in spite of a brisk increase in ammonia production, the mechanisms responsible for the increased glutamine use, which are operative in chronic acidosis, are not activated and other ammonia precursors, besides glutamine, are probably used for ammonia production.

Glutamine metabolism in metabolic acidosis.

In chronic metabolic acidosis in the rat, there is increased ammoniagenesis, gluconeogenesis and renal extraction of glutamine with induction of renal phosphate-dependent glutaminase (PDG). Because the stimulus for these changes is not yet clear and also because acute acidosis is the more common clinical problem, the present study deals mainly with the metabolism of glutamine in acute metabolic acidosis. When acute metabolic acidosis is produced in rats by administration of mineral acid or by causing them to swim, thus inducing a severe lactic acidosis, a factor is found in the plasma which stimulates renal glutamine uptake and ammoniagenesis in vivo as well as in vitro. Acute acidosis does not induce synthesis of PDG in the kidney but causes a change in enzyme kinetics. The plasma factor not only enhances glutamine entry into cells, but apparently causes a conformational change in PDG, as shown by an increase in V1.0mM/Vmax. Intestinal metabolism of glutamine is also stimulated in vivo and in vitro by the plasma factor of acute acidosis.

Studies on the role of the liver and splanchnic tissues in the production of carbohydrate intolerance in uremia

The potential contribution of the splanchnic tissues to the carbohydrate intolerance of uremia was studied in fasted, partially nephrectomized rats. The livers of sham operated (C) and partially nephrectomized (Nx) rats were perfused with physiologic concentrations of potential gluconeogenic substrates using a nonrecirculating perfusion apparatus. Glucose release was slightly greater in the livers of Nx rats as compared to C rats. The portal vein concentrations of the potential gluconeogenic precursors were not different in the two groups. Moreover, there were no differences in the net hepatic extraction of alanine, glutamine or glutamate between the two groups of rats. There was also no difference in the production of glucose from U 14C alanine. The livers of Nx rats, however, demonstrated less net extraction of lactate and released greater concentrations of betahydroxybutyrate. The increased release of glucose by livers of Nx rats may be at least partially due to their greater hepatic glycogen content.

Effect of 3-aminopicolinic acid on renal ammoniagenesis in the rat

The effects of 3-aminopicolinate, a known activator of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK), on renal ammoniagenesis were studied in normal rats and in rats allowed to recover for 2 days from ammonium chloride induced metabolic acidosis. The administration of 3-aminopicolinate (5 mg/100 g body wt) did not affect glomerular filtration rate, renal blood flow, arterial blood pH, pO 2 or pCO 2 in either normal or “recovered” rats. A significant increase in renal glutamine extraction and total ammonia production was observed in recovered rats, but not in normal rats, after 3-aminopicolinate treatment. Although this compound activated partially purified renal PEPCK, the profile of metabolites from freeze-clamped kidneys was not consistent with an activation of the enzyme. Thus, the enhancement of renal ammoniagenesis in vivo by 3-aminopicolinate was probably due to an effect other than activation of PEPCK.

Evidence for activation of the renal glutamate dehydrogenase pathway in intact acidotic dogs

To determine if activity of the renal glutamate dehydrogenase (GD) pathway changes during chronic acidosis in intact dogs, we assessed the deamination of glutamate formed within renal cells during glutamine and alanine infusions. Infusing glutamine into chronically acidotic, normal and acutely alkalotic dogs enhanced renal ammonia production; more was formed as glutamine loading increased. In 4 acidotic dogs, the ratio of ammonia produced to glutamine extracted by the kidneys during exogenous glutamine loading was 1.93 compared with 0.99 for 5 alkalotic dogs and 1.23 for 2 control dogs. Little glutamate and alanine were released into the renal vein in acidotic dogs, whereas over 50% of the exogenous glutamine extracted in acutely alkalotic dogs could be accounted for as glutamate and alanine released into the renal vein. Renal glutamate concentrations were not elevated in acidosis compared with alkalosis despite greater deamidation. When glutamine infusions increased renal ammoniagenesis in acutely alkalotic and control dogs to levels seen in chronically acidotic dogs receiving no exogenous glutamine, approximately 4 to 6 times more glutamate was released from the kidneys. Infusing alanine into 7 chronically acidotic dogs enhanced ammoniagenesis significantly (p less than 0.01), but lesser augmentation was seen in 3 control dogs and no augmentation was seen in 6 acutely alkalotic dogs. The increases were secondary to enhanced glutamate deamination, not secondary to any changes in glutamine extraction and/or transaminase activity. We conclude that the glutamate dehydrogenase pathway is more active in intact acidotic dogs than it is in control and alkalotic dogs.

Cellular mechanisms of the antiammoniagenic effect of ketone bodies in the dog.

To investigate the mechanisms of the antiammoniagenic effect of ketone bodies, acidotic dogs (NH4Cl) were infused with either beta-hydroxybutyrate or acetoacetate. Total blood ketones ranged from 2 to 4 mM. Renal ammoniagenesis fell by a mean of 53%, with a proportional decrease in glutamine extraction. Glutamate release in the renal vein rose, renal extraction of lactate fell, and aspartate and alanine production decreased. Study of the metabolite profile of the renal cortex by the freeze-clamp technique before and after ketone infusion showed that tissue glutamine concentration was unchanged, whereas glutamate, alpha-ketoglutarate, malate, and citrate rose. The intermediates of the gluconeogenic pathway, such as phosphoenolypyruvate, 2-phosphoglycerate, 3-phosphoglycerate, and glucose-6-phosphate, fell significantly. The redox state as calculated from the free NAD+/NADH ratios in the cytosolic (lactate dehydrogenase) and the mitochondrial (glutamate dehydrogenase and beta-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase) compartments was reduced. The present study suggests that ketone bodies inhibit renal ammoniagenesis through increased generation of alpha-ketoglutarate (metabolic or bicarbonate effect) and a decrease in the mitochondrial and cytosolic redox potentials in the kidney.

Changes in renal metabolite profile and ammoniagenesis during acute and chronic metabolic acidosis in dog and rat

Acute metabolic acidosis was induced by an i.v. administration of hydrochloric acid to dogs and rats to decrease the plasma bicarbonate concentration from 22 to 12 mM in dogs and from 26 to 10 mM in rats. Chronic metabolic acidosis was also induced in dogs by ammonium chloride feeding for 5 days. Rats also were given ammonium chloride for 24 hours. The renal metabolite profile was determined on the freeze-clamped renal tissue before and after 100 min (dogs) or 30 to 240 min (rats) of acsute acidosis. Measurements on chronically acidotic dogs and rats with 24-hour acidosis were obtained also for comparison with acute acidosis. In both species, kidney glutamine, glutamate, and alpha-ketokglutarate concentrations decreased drastically following induction of acute or chronic acidosis, In the dog, or in the rat during the first 2 hours of acidosis, malate concentration was unchanged. Malate concentration fell significantly in the rat kidney only after 2 hours of acidosis without change in phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) concentration. In chronically acidotic dogs, malate and oxaloacetate rose fivefold with no change in PEP concentration. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) activity was not stimulated by chronic metabolic acidosis in the dog in contrast to the rat. Acute acidosis by hydrochloric acid increased net renal glutamine extraction in the rat but not in the dog. These data suggest that an increased metabolic flux occurs between alpha-ketoglutarate and malate in both rat and dog kidney during acute metabolic acidosis. In the rat, however, after 2 hours, PEPCK activation modifies the kidney metabolite profile. Intrarenal glutamine transport seems to be a rate-limiting factor for adaptation to acute acidosis in the dog but not in the rat kidney.

Response of the rat and dog kidney to H + concentration in vitro—A comparative study with slices and tubules

1. 1. The present study reevaluates the metabolic response of rat and dog renal cortical tissue to changes in H + concentration of incubation medium and compares the response of kidney slices to (hat of isolated tubules. 2. 2. In the rat, acidification (pH 7.1) depresses glutamate accumulation and enhances gluconeogenesis with both slices and tubules, but glutamine extraction and ammonia production increase significantly only with tubules. 3. 3. Alkalinization (pH 7.7) depresses glucose and ammonia production and enhances glutamate accumulation with both slices and tubules but glutamine extraction is also slightly stimulated with tubules only. 4. 4. Thus, in the rat, variations of incubation medium pH modulates (a) glutamate utilization and (b) glutamine transport from the medium to the mitochondria, the second effect being apparent with tubules only. The different response observed with slices and tubules is attributed to a difference of permeability for glutamine between these two preparations. 5. 5. The intracellular metabolite profile of tubules rapidly separated from the incubation medium after 30 min suggests that in vitro acidosis increases and alkalosis decreases glutamate utilization and ammonia production probably by affecting the activity of the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex. 6. 6. In the dog, no effect of H + concentration on glutamine transport or utilization can be seen. However, H + concentration modifies glutamate accumulation and stimulates gluconeogenesis (from glutamate and endogenous substrates). 7. 7. Both effects are in accord with observations in the rat and may involve similar mechanisms.

Relationship between lactate and glutamine metabolism in vitro by the kidney: Differences between dog and rat and importance of alanine synthesis in the dog

Interaction between lactate (1 or 5 mM) and glutamine (1 or 5 mM) metabolism was studied with renal cortical slices incubated at a pH of 7.0 and obtained from acidotic (ammonium chloride) dogs and rats. The effect of aminooxyacetate (0.2 mM), dichloroacetate (3 mM), and fluoroacetate (0.05 mM) was also studied. Significant differences were observed between dog and rat. In the dog, lactate had no effect on glutamine uptake and vice versa, but gluconeogenesis increased. Ammonia production, however, decreased by 13 to 21%, whereas a significant increase in alanine production was noted. In the rat, glutamine extraction and ammonia production dropped by 33% with 5 mM lactate. In contrast to the observation in the dog, no production of alanine was noted, but significant accumulation of glutamate took place. Amino-oxyacetate inhibited alanine production in the dog and reestablished ammoniagenesis, and it led to a marked decrement in the uptake of lactate and glucose production in both species. Dichloroacetate in the dog resulted in a reduction in pyruvate, alanine, glucose, and ammonia production while glutamate accumulation was observed. In both species, fluoroacetate stimulated glutamine uptake and ammonia production. With lactate alone, fluoroacetate decreased lactate uptake and glucose production. With both lactate and glutamine in the medium, fluoroacetate prevented any effect of lactate on ammoniagenesis. The present study demonstrates that lactate has a modest depressing effect on renal ammonia production by dog slices through increased synthesis of alanine and redistribution of nitrogen from glutamine. In the rat, the depressing effect of lactate on ammonia production in the alanine amino-transferase deficient kidney occurs through accumulation of glutamate. The data also reveal that oxidation of lactate to carbon dioxide is greater in the dog than it is in the rat, but that gluconeogenesis from lactate is more important in the rat.

Characteristics of glutamine metabolism by rat kidney tubules: a carbon and nitrogen balance

The metabolism of glutamine by a suspension of rat kidney tubules was studied in vitro. The influence of duration of incubation, glutamine concentration, and metabolic state of the donor animals was investigated. The relative importance of glucose synthesis, amino acid production, and oxidation to CO2 was estimated by drawing a complete balance of the nitrogens and the carbon chains of the extracted glutamine. It was found that the initial (first 15 min) rate of glutamine utilization was significantly greater than the subsequent rate due to an initial, but transient, extracellular accumulation of glutamate. This phenomenon was suppressed when a small amount of glutamate was added to the incubation medium. Glucose production constitutes the major fate for glutamine metabolism. No net oxidation of glutamine could be detected with 1 mM glutamine during the first 30 min. However, glutamine oxidation becomes significant after prolonged incubation (16% at 120 min). The metabolic fate of glutamine differs when 5 or 10 mM are presented to the tubules, glutamate production and oxidation to CO2 becoming more important. Metabolic acidosis or a 48-h fast increases glutamine extraction and enhances its utilization glucose synthesis while they depress glutamate accumulation and oxidation to CO2. Metabolic alkalosis has the opposite effect. It is concluded that the metabolism of glutamine in vitro is dependent on the conditions of the study. Furthermore, total oxidation to CO2 is not a major fate for glutamine metabolism at physiological concentration and is not enhanced by acidosis in the rat kidney in vitro.

Ammonia detoxification by the rat kidney in vivo

The time course of changes in the concentration of metabolites in response to a nontoxic load of ammonia was measured in freeze-clamped kidneys of fasted rats. Following a single NH4HCO3 load, a decrease in tissue concentration of 2-oxoglutarate occurs but this change is small and delayed in relation to the peak of blood ammonia concentration. An immediate but transient increment in tissue glutamine also occurs. No close relationship between the mitochondrial free NAD:NADH ratio calculated from the glutamate dehydrogenase and the 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase systems is seen during alteration of ammonia concentration. In contrast with previously reported observations in the liver under similar circumstances, no increase in tissue or renal venous blood aspartate or alanine concentration occurs. A constant infusion of NH4HCO3 doubles the tissue glutamine concentration and changes net renal extraction of glutamine to net production. The infusion of NH4+ together with a carbon source (malate, lactate) results in similar increase in tissue and renal vein glutamine concentration. No accumulation of aspartate or alanine are seen. In vitro studies on isolated kidney tubules indicate that the net flux through both aspartate aminotransferase and glutamate dehydrogenase is dependent on the concentration of the reactants as expected for systems in near-equilibrium situation. It is concluded that the rat kidney response to an ammonia load differs from that of the liver despite the apparent existence of a similar network of near-equilibrium systems. Such a difference is best explained by renal glutamine synthesis and sequestration of glutamate as glutamine in vivo.

Effect of fatty acids on renal ammoniagenesis in in vivo and in vitro studies.

Intravenous or renal intra-arterial infusion of sodium octanoate results in a 60% decrease in renal ammoniagenesis in the acidotic dog. Mobilization of endogenous fatty acids by levarterenol infusion is accompanied by a 30% fall in renal ammoniagenesis which coincides with considerable increase in renal extraction of fatty acids. In both types of experiments, the renal extraction of glutamine falls in proportion with decreased ammoniagenesis. The effect of octanoate and levarterenol infusion cannot be explained by changes in acid-base equilibrium, renal hemodynamics, or the release of insulin. In vitro experiments using kidney cortical slices from acidotic dogs show that addition of sodium octanoate (0.05-10 mM) or sodium palmitate (0.1-2.5 mM) to the incubation medium induces a 35% decrease in both ammonia and glucose production when L-glutamine (1 mM) is used as the basic ammoniagenic and gluconeogenic substrate. Glutamine uptake decreases concomitantly, whereas tissue glutamate either rises or remains unchanged. The same results were observed when L-glutamate (5 mM) was used as substrate. Glycerol (5 mM) in the medium has no effect on ammoniagenesis, whereas gluconeogenesis increases by 81%. The present studies demonstrate that fatty acids may interfere with renal ammoniagenesis from glutamine during acidosis. The effect is probably related to substrate availability and competition. Fatty acids appear to inhibit ammoniagenesis in the mitochondria through a direct metabolic effect linked with their oxidation and not through modification of glutamine transport across the mitochondrial membrane.

Renal hemodynamics and ammoniagenesis. Characteristics of the antiluminal site for glutamine extraction.

Renal production of ammonia by the left kidney was studied in 31 acidotic dogs (NH(4)Cl) after acute constriction of the renal artery. Renal ammoniagenesis fell in direct proportion with the reduction in glomerular filtration rate and renal plasma flow. The renal extraction of glutamine by the experimental kidney fell in direct proportion with the reduction in renal hemodynamics. Extracted glutamine remained greater than filtered glutamine indicating that both the luminal and antiluminal transport sites were operative. The relationship between renal extraction of glutamine and ammoniagenesis observed during control was maintained after renal artery constriction (1.7 mumol NH(3) produced for each mumol of glutamine extracted). Systemic venous or renal intra-arterial infusion of glutamine during arterial constriction increased renal production of ammonia to or above control values. These observations indicate that the mechanisms responsible for glutamine extraction and ammonia production were operating normally despite reduced hemodynamics. When measured immediately after arterial clamping, the renal venous pNH(3) was found to rise significantly decreasing progressively thereafter towards control values. The extracted fraction of total glutamine delivered to the kidney (31%) did not change after acute reduction of the glutamine load. Thus, the antiluminal extraction site was incapable of lowering renal venous plasma glutamine concentration below 0.33 muM/ml. In a second series of experiments, the properties of the antiluminal site of transport for glutamine were studied after complete occlusion of the left ureter in acidotic and nonacidotic animals. Under these circumstances, it was demonstrated that the antiluminal site is capable of extracting sufficient glutamine to maintain total ammonia production at 60% or more of control. In acidotic animals, changes in cellular pNH(3) appeared to play a key role on the antiluminal extraction of glutamine since the significant rise in renal blood flow often observed after ureteral occlusion prevented the rise in pNH(3) noted when blood flow remained constant. Thus, when renal blood flow rose glutamine extraction and ammonia production were maintained at control values. In these acidotic animals, glutamine infusion failed to influence ammonia production until luminal transport was restored by release of ureteral clamp and resumption of glomerular filtration. The latter observation establishes that reabsorbed glutamine is utilized at least in part for ammonia production.

Glucose utilization and production by the dog kidney in vivo in metabolic acidosis and alkalosis.

Using D-[1-(14)C]glucose as a tracer, renal glucose utilization and production was measured in chronic metabolic acidosis and alkalosis in dog kidney in vivo. In six experiments in acidosis, mean total renal glucose production was 4.447+/-1.655 SE mumol/min and glucose utilization was 4.187+/-0.576 SE mumol/min. In five alkalotic experiments it was found that mean total glucose production was 12.227+/-2.026 SE mumol/min and glucose utilization was 18.186+/-2.054 SE mumol/min. Renal glucose utilization and production are therefore significantly higher in alkalosis than in acidosis in vivo. Since glucose production is maximal under conditions when glutamine extraction is minimal (i.e. alkalosis), it is apparent that in alkalosis glutamine is not a major precursor of glucose.

Metabolism of Glutamine by the Intact Functioning Kidney of the Dog STUDIES IN METABOLIC ACIDOSIS AND ALKALOSIS

The renal conversion of glutamine to glucose and its oxidation to CO(2) were compared in dogs in chronic metabolic acidosis and alkalosis. These studies were performed at normal endogenous levels of glutamine utilizing glutamine-(34)C (uniformly labeled) as a tracer. It was observed in five experiments in acidosis that mean renal extraction of glutamine by one kidney amounted to 27.7 mumoles/min. Of this quantity, 5.34 mumoles/min was converted to glucose, and 17.5 mumoles/min was oxidized to CO(2). Acidotic animals excreted an average of 41 mumoles/min of ammonia in the urine formed by one kidney. In contrast, in five experiments in alkalosis, mean renal extraction of glutamine amounted to 8.04 mumoles/min. Of this quantity, 0.92 mumole/min was converted to glucose, and 4.99 mumoles/min was oxidized to CO(2). Alkalotic animals excreted an average of 3.23 mumoles/min of ammonia in the urine. We conclude that renal gluconeogenesis is not rate limiting for the production and excretion of ammonia in either acidosis or alkalosis. Since 40% of total CO(2) production is derived from oxidation of glutamine by the acidotic kidney and 14% by the alkalotic kidney, it is apparent that renal energy sources change with acid-base state and that glutamine constitutes a major metabolic fuel in acidosis.

The effect of ketone bodies on renal ammoniogenesis.

Infusion of ketone bodies to ammonium chloride-loaded acidotic dogs was found to induce significant reduction in urinary excretion of ammonia. This effect could not be attributed to urinary pH variations. Total ammonia production by the left kidney was measured in 25 animals infused during 90 min with the sodium salt of D,L-beta-hydroxybutyric acid adjusted to pH 6.0 or 4.2. Ketonemia averaged 4.5 mM/liter. In all experiments the ammonia content of both urine and renal venous blood fell markedly so that ammoniogenesis was depressed by 60% or more within 60 min after the onset of infusion. Administration of equimolar quantities of sodium acetoacetate adjusted to pH 6.0 resulted in a 50% decrease in renal ammonia production. Infusion of ketone bodies adjusted to pH 6.0 is usually accompanied by a small increase in extracellular bicarbonate (3.7 mM/liter). However infusion of D,L-sodium lactate or sodium bicarbonate in amounts sufficient to induce a similar rise in plasma bicarbonate resulted in only a slight decrement in ammonia production (15%). The continuous infusion of 5% mannitol alone during 90-150 min failed to influence renal ammoniogenesis. Infusion of pure sodium-free beta-hydroxybutyric acid prepared by ion exchange (pH 2.2) resulted in a 50% decrease in renal ammoniogenesis in spite of the fact that both urinary pH and plasma bicarbonate fell significantly. During all experiments where ketones were infused, the renal extraction of glutamine became negligible as the renal glutamine arteriovenous difference was abolished. Renal hemodynamics did not vary significantly. Infusion of beta-hydroxybutyrate into the left renal artery resulted in a rapid decrease in ammoniogenesis by the perfused kidney. The present study indicates that ketone bodies exert their inhibitory influence within the renal tubular cell. Since their effect is independent of urinary or systemic acid-base changes, it is suggested that they depress renal ammoniogenesis by preventing the transformation of glutamine and glutamate into alpha-ketoglutarate in the mitochondria of the renal tubular cell.