Metabolic machinery of the alligator kidney

Crocodilians such as caimans and alligators are uricotelic and ammoniotelic animals. They are carnivorous but they excrete ammonium ions in an alkaline urine. The metabolic organization of the kidney of the Mississippi alligator was studied by measuring the renal metabolite profile, the activities of enzymes, and the behavior of kidney tubules in vitro. The liver and tail muscle were also studied. Both awake and anesthetized animals were in a state of low plasma bicarbonate and low blood pH with high plasma lactate concentration. This did not prevent the excretion of an alkaline urine (pH 7.76). alpha-Ketoglutarate was low in all three tissues and lactate was high. Glutamate concentration and glutamate dehydrogenase activity were highest in the kidney with a low equilibrium constant for alanine aminotransferase (KGPT). Glutaminase I was found only in the kidney. It could not be detected in liver or muscle. Glutamine synthetase was found only in the liver. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK) was present in both liver and kidney. Alanine aminotransferase and malic enzyme showed high activity in the kidney but were inconspicuous in liver and muscle. Malate dehydrogenase and lactate dehydrogenase were present in all three tissues. Renal tubules incubated with glutamine and alanine were ammoniagenic and gluconeogenic. Lactate was gluconeogenic. Enzyme activities were measured at both 30 and 37 degrees C. The studies on renal tubules were also performed at these two temperatures. Temperature had little effect on the data including acid-base values in the blood. Our findings demonstrate that the kidney of the alligator is perfectly equipped for various metabolic functions and especially for ammoniagenesis and gluconeogenesis.