Urinary cyclic AMP and renal concentrating capacity in infants.

In 15 infants between 1 and 31 weeks the effect of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) on the renal concentrating capacity and urinary cyclic AMP (cAMP) was tested. A significant decrease of urine flow and a significant increase of osmolality, urea and cAMP was observed indicating that the distal nephron of the infant kidney is responsive to exogenous ADH and that its effect is mediated by cAMP. The results of a second series with 52 normally hydrated infants demonstrate that the nonlinear age-related increase of osmolality and urea in urine is accompanied by a similar pattern of cAMP excretion, pointing out that the maturation of the concentrating capacity seems to be related to an increasing responsiveness of the cAMP system to ADH. Furthermore the results raise the possibility that increasing concentrations of urea and solutes in the medulla and papilla of the infant kidney may have--in the presence of very low ADH secretion--an additional stimulating effect on cAMP formation.