Renal trehalase: function and development.

1. Following injection of trehalose into the bloodstream, no trehalose was found in urine of rabbits until the concentration of trehalose in blood exceeded 0.6 mg/ml. 2. Absence of trehalose in urine of the rabbit when the concentration of the sugar in blood is elevated supports the hypothesis that renal trehalase functions as a digestive enzyme in kidney. 3. The rat does not possess renal trehalase, and excretion of trehalose was in direct relation to the concentration of trehalose in blood. 4. There are differences in expression of the disaccharidases in kidney and intestine although they share many structural and enzymatic characteristics.