Development of ammonia and glucose productions from glutamine in foetal rat kidney; effects of metabolic acidosis.

Ammoniagenesis and gluconeogenesis have been studied in foetal rat kidneys during the five last days of gestation by measuring in vitro NH3 and glucose productions from glutamine and by assaying activities of soluble phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase(PEPCK) and glucose 6-phosphatase (G6Pase). These studies were carried out in normal (mean blood pH: 7.30) and acidotic (pH: 7.12) foetuses. In normal foetuses, NH3 production by kidney cortex slices remains constant throughout the studied period of development, at a level 10-fold lower than the maternal one. On day 20 of gestation, a low glucose production (20-fold lower than the maternal one) appears for the first time. This may be related to an increase of PEPCK and G6Pase activities which occurs between day 19 and 20. In 20 days old foetuses, NH4Cl induced acidosis stimulates NH3 production but has no effect on PEPCK activity and glucose production. A response of gluconeogenesis to acidosis is observed one day later (day 21).