Contribution of kidney basement membranes and collagen to the urinary excretion of hydroxylysyl glycosides.

Glucosyl-galactosyl-hydroxylysine and galactosyl-hydroxylysine are two substances present only in collagen and in basement membranes. The purpose of this study is to estimate to what extent the kidney contributes to urinary hydroxylysyl glycoside excretion. "In vitro" perfusion of isolated kidneys allows the measurement of hydroxylysyl glycosides independently of the important amount of interstitial collagen present in the whole body. It is shown that the kidney parenchyma contributes no more than 10 percent of the glycosylated hydroxylysine excreted in urine. GBM is not the only renal source of glucosyl-galactosyl-hydroxylysine in urine. Tubular basement membrane and intersitial collagen of kidney may contribute to the excretion by the isolated organ.