Abstract
Renal glucose production and utilization rates in normal fed and fasted sheep were determined by the measurements of renal blood flow and arteriovenous 14C-glucose and glucose concentration differences using the method of primed continuous infusion of u-14C-glucose. At the same time total body glucose turnover rate was measured, and the contribution of renal glucose production to glucose requirement in the whole animal was quantitatively estimated. The renal blood flow for fed and Fasted sheep were 20±1 and 20±3ml/min/kg, respectively. No significant difference in the renal blood flow existed between the groups. The total body glucose turnover rate in fasted sheep (1.68±0.20mg/min/kg) was significantly lowered (<0.01) than that of fed sheep (2, 20 ±0.13mg/min/kg). The renal glucose production rate in fed sheep was 0.47±0.05mg/min/kg and this rate accounted for about 21.4% of the glucose turnove rate. The renal glucose production rate in fasted sheep decreased to about 45% of that in fed sheep, However, the renal glucose utilization rate was simliar in fed (0.26±0.04mg/min/kg) and fasted sheep (0.27±0.04mg/min/kg). Net renal glucose production rate in fed sheep, which was measured by the method of arteriovenous glucose concentration differences, was O.22±0.05mg/min/kg, but that in fasted sheep was a negative value. These results suggest that the kidney of ruminant seems to produce a significant amount of glucose and to utilize it simultaneously with production.
