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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2011 Jul 1.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2010 Jul;19(4):393–402. doi: 10.1097/MNH.0b013e32833aa4ac

Figure 3. Fatty acids may affect proximal tubule ammonium production by mitochondrial substrate competition.

Figure 3

Ammonium (NH4+) is produced in the proximal tubule by the metabolism of glutamine to α-ketoglutarate, which then continues in the Krebs cycle. The products of fatty acid β-oxidation also enter the Krebs cycle. Increased intracellular concentration of fatty acids may compete with glutamine as mitochondrial substrate, decreasing its utilization and reducing ammonium production.