The effects of acidosis and alkalosis on the metabolism of glutamine and glutamate in renal cortex slices

Abstract

Studies of the metabolism of glutamine and glutamate by renal cortex slices from acidotic, alkalotic, and control rats were performed. 88-95% of the glutamine and 104-115% of the glutamate taken up from the medium could be accounted for by the products found. Acidosis increased glutamine uptake and conversion to ammonia, CO(2), glucose, lactate, pyruvate, lipid, and protein. The increase in glutamine conversion to ammonia after acidosis could be completely accounted for by the associated increase in its conversion to glucose, glutamate, lactate, and pyruvate. When glutamate metabolism was examined, acidosis did not affect substrate uptake but did increase its conversion to ammonia, glucose, lactate, CO(2), and lipid. The increase in (14)CO(2) from U-(14)C-glutamine and U-(14)C-glutamate found with cortex slices from acidotic animals could be explained by the CO(2) production calculated to be associated with the enhanced conversion of these substrates to other products during acidosis. (14)CO(2) production from 1.2-(14)C-acetate was found to be significantly increased in alkalosis rather than acidosis. These studies suggest that in the rat, the rate at which glutamine is completely oxidized in the Krebs cycle is not a factor regulating renal ammonia production. A comparison of the effects of acidbase status on glutamine and glutamate metabolism suggests that either glutamine transport or glutamine transaminase activity are significantly increased by acidosis.