OBSERVATIONS ON RENAL PROTEIN METABOLISM

Abstract

The free and total alpha amino N content of renal venous, femoral arterial and inferior vena caval blood were determined in fasting, anesthetized dogs in order to study the hypothesis that plasma proteins are abstracted from glomerular filtrate and metabolized by renal tubular cells to amino acids and polypeptides. No significant difference in the free and total amino N content of renal venous, arterial or vena caval blood was found in this study either during fasting or following the intravenous administration of 3 to 6 g of hemoglobin. This study therefore provided no evidence of renal tubular reabsorption and metabolism of protein in the dog.