Ammonia metabolism in cultured renal cells.

Many important aspects of the mechanism(s) abetting renal ammonia metabolism in man have remained unresolved. This review will summarize the advantages of cell culture and the stable isotope 15N techniques for the investigation of the biochemical mechanism(s) regulating renal ammoniagenesis. The application of these techniques for the study of renal ammonia metabolism has demonstrated a broad metabolic and biochemical similarity between intact kidney cells and those in culture. Renal cells in culture may provide a useful model for scrutinizing various aspects of renal ammoniagenesis.