The effects of amino acid loading on glomerular filtration in dogs on different protein diets: a controlled study

Considerable variation in both the magnitude and pattern of response of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) to protein loading in omnivores has been reported in the literature. These experiments were designed to examine, under carefully controlled conditions, the effects of different acute protein loads given to a group of dogs placed on a normal protein (NP) intake for 4 weeks and to the same dogs when on a low protein (LP) intake for the same duration. GFR did not change when the dogs were changed from NP to LP diets, 3.0 + 0.2 (NP) vs. 3.2 + 0.3 (LP) mL.min-1.kg-1. Intravenous amino acid was infused at 15, 25, and 40 mL/h on different days. Regardless of whether on a low or high protein diet, the GFR did not change. Another set of experiments was performed in another Canadian centre 2000 miles away. In these studies with dogs on a similar normal protein diet, a striking rise in GFR occurred following amino-acid infusion at 25 mL/h, 3.1 + 0.3 vs. 4.8 + 0.6 mL.min-1.kg-1 (p less than 0.001). These results demonstrate, at least in the dog, that contrary to previous reports, dietary protein changes do not affect the GFR. Furthermore, the GFR response to an acute intravenous protein load does not depend on the amount of protein given nor the previous protein diet but appears to be possibly dependent on other factors that may be environmental or congenital.