Normalization of enhanced hepatic gluconeogenesis by the antiglucocorticoid RU 38486 in acutely uraemic rats

. Hepatic amino acid uptake, urea and glucose production are increased in acute uraemia. It has been shown that this metabolic pattern is mediated by glucocorticoids. Accordingly, the administration of the antiglucocorticoid RU 38486 to acutely uraemic rats resulted in a reduction of serum urea‐N and glucose levels. To clarify whether this effect is due to a reduction in hepatic gluconeogenesis we examined the effect of the antiglucocorticoid RU 38486 on urea and glucose formation in isolated hepatocytes from sham‐operated (SHAM) and bilaterally nephrectomized (BNX) rats receiving RU 38486 or the vehicle only. Hepatic glucose production in BNX rats was considerably increased from Na‐pyruvate (+ 79%), alanine (+ 174%), glutamine (+158%), and serine (+ 87%) compared with SHAM animals. Concomitantly, hepatic urea formation was also enhanced from amino acid substrates in acutely uraemic rats. When uraemic animals were treated with RU 38486, glucose production from amino acids and Na‐pyruvate was reduced to the range of SHAM animals or even lower. This effect could not be demonstrated in SHAM‐operated controls. A comparable decrement in hepatic urea production was observed in BNX rats treated with the antiglucocorticoid. Thus, glucocorticoids appear to play a key role in the abnormal hepatic urea and glucose production of acutely uraemic rats.