Time course of renal glutamate dehydrogenase induction during NH4Cl loading in rats

To study mechanisms involved in renal glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) regulation in response to systemic acid loading, we have measured blood pH, ammonium excretion, renal GDH mRNA levels, and GDH activity in rats. Acid intake (0.28 M NH4Cl in drinking water for 3 days) increased GDH mRNA levels in the renal cortex, but had no effect in the outer stripe of the outer medulla, inner stripe of the outer medulla, or the inner medulla. Rats were subjected to a step change in acid intake by alkali loading for 3 days (7.2 meq NaHCO3 per day in food slurry) and shifting to acid loading for up to 7 days (7.2 meq NH4Cl in food slurry). Ammonium excretion rose rapidly, increasing by 14-fold in the first 24-h period and 38-fold in the second 24-h period. Cortical GDH mRNA levels were increased relative to alkali-loaded values by 3.7-fold in 24 h, 4.3-fold in 4 days, but only 2.2-fold in 7 days. GDH activity was unchanged after 24 h of acid intake, but was significantly increased after 48 h. We concluded the following: 1) GDH mRNA is present in all regions of the kidney, but levels increase in response to acid loading only in the renal cortex; 2) GDH mRNA levels increase within 1 day after the initiation of acid loading, but the associated increase in functional enzyme activity takes 2 or more days; and 3) the large increases in ammonium excretion that occur in the first day after initiation of acid loading are not dependent on increased GDH activity.