Parathyroid hormone stimulates ammoniagenesis in canine renal proximal tubular segments

To determine whether parathyroid hormone (PTH) affects ammoniagenesis in renal proximal tubule, we measured ammonia production in suspensions of canine renal proximal tubular segments incubated with 10 mM L-glutamine in the absence or presence of 10(-7) M PTH. Productions of ammonia were linear functions of time for 120 min and averaged 231 +/- 55 and 311 +/- 67 mumol ammonia/g protein in the absence and presence of PTH, respectively. When measured over the range of 10(-11)-10(-7) M PTH, half-maximal stimulation of ammonia production occurred between 10(-10) and 10(-9) M PTH. Maximal production of ammonia was observed at 10(-8) M PTH. Incubation of proximal tubular segments with PTH increased levels of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) in vitro. Ammonia production was significantly enhanced by incubation of segments with the cAMP analogue, 8-bromoadenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate. PTH also increased ammonia production in segments incubated with 1 mM L-glutamine. We conclude that PTH stimulates ammonia production in canine renal proximal tubular segments. This effect appears to be mediated, at least in part, through cAMP in vitro. Such stimulation could reflect a direct action of PTH on the proximal tubule to enhance ammoniagenesis in vivo.