Ammonium metabolism: emphasis on energy considerations.

The metabolism of a typical North American diet yields a net acid load. Hydrogen ions are removed from the body after combining with bicarbonate to form CO2. This leaves the body with a deficit of bicarbonate. The role of the kidney is to add 'new' bicarbonate to the body. It does so primarily by synthesizing NH4+ plus bicarbonate while making NH4+ an end-product of metabolism (excreting it in the urine). Production of NH4+ occurs primarily in proximal convoluted tubule cells. Although several possible pathways can do this, the primary one stimulated by chronic metabolic acidosis is the glutaminase/glutamate dehydrogenase one. The upper limit on this pathway is set by energy turnover considerations. This, in effect, means control by renal work (sodium reabsorption) and fuel competitions (availability of fat-derived fuels).