Effect of serine on gluconeogenic ability of hepatocytes in acute uremia

Hepatocytes isolated from livers of rats with various models of acute uremia (binephrectomy, ureter ligation, uranyl nitrate-induced, or ischemic ARF) were incubated with glucagon, adrenalin, or cyclic AMP using serine as a substrate. A marked increase in glucose production was observed in the hepatocytes of uranyl nitrate-treated, binephrectomized, and ureter-ligated rats compared to starved controls or sham-operated animals. This effect was strengthened in the presence of glucagon, adrenaline, or cyclic AMP. In liver cells of binephrectomized and ureter-ligated animals, the production of acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate was significantly higher than in controls and sham-operated rats. Oxoglutarate and ATP production was only enhanced after ureter ligation. The correlation between glucose concentration and the cytosolic redox state was different in control and sham-operated rats than in either uremic group. This study confirms earlier investigations of a key role of serine in carbohydrate metabolism in acutely uremic rats.