Amino acid and protein metabolism in chronic renal failure
Recent studies in humans have demonstrated the importance of the kidney in amino acid metabolism. In particular, it has been shown that conversion of phenylalanine to tyrosine occurs in the kidney and at a rate similar to that of the liver. Furthermore, unlike the liver, the kidney releases more tyrosine than it produces. In this review, the importance of this metabolic role of the kidney is discussed in context of chronic renal failure. The effect of renal failure on skeletal muscle protein metabolism is also discussed.
Address reprint requests to K. Sreekumaran Nair, MD, PhD, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, 5-194 Joseph, Rochester, MN 55905
Studies performed in this manuscript are supported by the National Institutes of Health (R01 DK41973, R01 AG09531, General Clinical Research Center grant M01 RR00585).
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