Glutamine production rate and its contribution to urinary ammonia in normal man

ABSTRACT

Glutamine [15N]amide was infused at a steady rate of 33.34 micromoles/h into seven male adult volunteers who were in the fed state and normal acid-base status. Plasma glutamine amide N enrichment and urinary ammonia N enrichment rose to a constant value within 3h. The glutamine production rate was 51.8 ñ 7.9 millimoles/h. The total ammonia execretion rate was 0.87 millimoles/h. Of this excreted ammonia 62.6 ñ 9 percent was derived from the amide N atom of glutamine. The excreted glutamine amide N (0.53 millimoles/h) was only 1 percent of the glutamine production. If half the ammonia formed by the kidney is excreted in urine and half liberated into the renal vein in subjects with normal acid-base status [E. E. Owen & R. R. Robinson (1963) Journal of Clinical Investigation, 42, 263-276], then the kidney accounts for only 2 percent of glutamine disposal. Whole body protein turnover, measured from the urinary [15N]ammonia enrichment, was 30.3 ñ 7.7 g of N/day (2.8 g of protein/day/kg). (AU)