Evaluation of whole body nitrogen kinetics in acute metabolic acidosis

The data obtained after a pulse dose of L-[15N] alanine and [13C] urea in control and acidotic conscious dogs were analyzed to compute the whole body nitrogen turnover rates. Acute acidosis was induced and maintained by continuous HCl infusion. On the basis of a four pool model, the mean daily protein synthesis rate in the normal dog was calculated to be 10.8 g/kg compared to 7.6 g/kg in acidosis. Since all dogs were in negative nitrogen balance, the daily catabolic rate of protein was greater than the synthetic rate and the mean daily catabolic rate was 14.4 g protein/kg in normal dogs compared to 10.5 g protein/kg in acidotic dogs. The body urea pool size and excretion rates were decreased by 24 and 27%, respectively, due to acute acidosis, without any change in the fractional turnover rate. Thus the adaptive response to the induced acid challenge appears to be a reduction in the synthesis and breakdown rates of protein and also a decrease in the production and excretion rate of urea.