Carbon dioxide formation and elimination in man. Recent theories and possible consequences.

Systemic metabolism results in a production of not only carbon dioxide, water and urea but also bicarbonate ions. Most of these bicarbonate ions are generated during the catabolism of glutamine. In order to be eliminated as carbon dioxide in the lungs bicarbonate ions must be protonised. This protonisation of the bicarbonate ion seems to take place in a number of tissue compartments in which acid-base balance is maintained. One of the most important processes for protonisation of the bicarbonate ion is the hepatic ureagenesis from ammonia/ammonium ions. A substantial part of the ammonia/ammonium ions are generated during the catabolism of amino acids. Terminal oxidation of glutamine in the gut seems to be of great significance for this process. In certain conditions the enteric generation of ammonium ions seems so important that an ATP-driven enterohepatic recirculation of ammonium ions/urea constituting an amplifying mechanism for the protonisation of the bicarbonate ion is motivated.