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Urinary Nitrogen Excretion in Fowls Fed Acid or Alkali

Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan

Experiments were conducted to confirm the assumption that part of the excessive excretion of urinary ammonia of fowls fed a protein-free diet is associated with acid-base balance, and also to examine the influence of dietary administration of acid or alkali on urinary ammonia excretion. The urine of birds fed the protein-free diet showed a lower pH and larger titratable acidity than that of those fed 1 or 2% casein diets. When sodium bicarbonate was administered to fowls fed the protein-free diet, urinary ammonia excretion was markedly depressed. It was concluded from the data that the excessive excretion of urinary ammonia resulting from the protein-free diet is a regulator of body acid-base balance. Significantly increased or decreased excretion of urinary ammonia of birds fed the 20% casein diet was demonstrated by the administration of 10 and 15 mmoles of hydrochloric acid or sodium bicarbonate, respectively. Urinary ammonia excretion reached the minimal level with administration of 15 mmoles of sodium bicarbonate, and this level was considered to be of exogenous origin, being 55 and 37 mg in 20 and 10% casein diets, respectively. It was found that more ammonia appeared in the urine of birds fed the protein-free diet than in that of those fed the casein-containing diets.