Renal Glutaminase and Ammonia Excretion

Abstract

The renal glutaminase activity of the rat and dog is more than 10 times as high as in the rabbit. The deficient ammonia excretion of the acidotic adrenal insufficient rat does not depend on a lack of renal glutaminase, since the latter remains normal in adrenal insufficiency. There is good correlation between the ability to form ammonia and the renal glutaminase activity in the normal rat, dog and rabbit, since the rat and dog are good ammonia producers and have a high renal glutaminase, while the rabbit, a poor ammonia producer, has low renal glutaminase.