Intestinal ammonium production in the rat: The role of the colon, small intestine, and circulating glutamine

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Abstract
Summary The intestinal ammonium production and the intestinal uptake of circulating glutamine were investigated in anesthetized intact rats and rats with resected small intestine or colon by simultaneous measurements performed on portal and arterial blood. It was shown that ammonium release into the portal blood by the small intestine is of equal magnitude to that released by the colon, and that circulating glutamine participates in ammonium production by the small intestine. Increased levels of circulating glutamine induced by its i.v. infusion to intact rats were not accompanied by an increase in intestinal ammonium production.