It is known that heating at 50 degrees C for 10 minutes inhibits phosphate dependent glutaminase (PDG) activity of renal cortex, without any effect on gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (gamma GT) and its phosphate independent glutaminase (PIG) activity. The effect of heating on PIG and total gamma GT activities was evaluated in renal cortex homogenates of rats both in normal acid-base equilibrium and in chronic metabolic acidosis (CMA). Homogenates were incubated in a medium containing glutamine 2 mM, no phosphate, at pH 7,40. PIG activity was measured as glutamate production and total gamma GT activity as ammonia production. In normal rats PIG activity was unchanged after heating, whereas a significant decrease of total gamma GT activity was observed (p less than 0,01). CMA caused an increase in both PIG and total gamma GT activity (p less than 0,01) and these increased to a further extent after heating. In both normal and acidotic rats the glutamate production/ammonia production ratio rose to about 1.
In conclusion: a) in the experimental setting used for this study PDG activity does not intervene in glutamate and ammonia production from glutamine; b) heating causes an inhibition of gamma GT activities, other than PIG, both in normal and in acidotic rats; c) in CMA heating increases PIG activity of gamma GT.