The effect of acidosis on the labelling of urinary ammonia during infusion of [amide-15N]glutamine in human subjects.

In three experiments [amide-15N]glutamine was infused intravenously in male volunteers. After 4-8 h of infusion acidosis was achieved by an oral dose of CaCl2 (1 mmol/kg). In one subject acidosis was maintained for 5 d. The acid load produced an approximately 3-fold increase in urinary NH3 excretion, with a small (approximately 20%) and transient increase in the isotope abundance of urinary NH3. Estimates of glutamine production rate (flux) were obtained in two experiments. There was no evidence that it was increased in acidosis. The extra NH3 production by the kidney represented only a very small part, about 3%, of the total glutamine production rate.