Amino acid uptake by fetal kidney slices

Kidney slices of 7-17-week-old human fetuses were incubated for 90 min or less in Krebs-Ringer solution containing aminoisobutyric acid (AIB). Cell to medium ratios of AIB decrease with increasing fetal age. Uptake rate is slower than for mature human tissue. Both water content and extracellular space is high in embryonic tissue as compared to adult.