The purine nucleotide cycle activity in renal cortex and medulla.

Formation of adenine nucleotides, IMP, malate + fumarate, ammonia, adenosine, and inosine + hypoxanthine + uric acid were measured in cytosolic extracts from renal cortex and medulla. The order of substrate addition was IMP, then 2-deoxyglucose, then P-creatine. Compared with cortex, medulla showed greater rates of formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) from P-creatine, of adenosine monophosphate (AMP) from 2-deoxyglucose, and of total adenine nucleotides from IMP. These results suggest that the purine nucleotide cycle is more active in medulla than in cortex. This cycle may provide a mechanism in medulla for storing purine nucleotides which can be used to restore ATP pools in the relatively hypoxic conditions of this part of the kidney.