Kidney gluconeogenesis: its importance to net glucose synthesis during the development of chick embryos

A technique is described for the preparation of viable isolated kidney tubules from chick embryos. Assessment of the potencies of various possible gluconeogenic precursors indicates that kidney is the site of net glucose synthesis from physiologically relevant precursors during embryonic life. The plasma concentrations of physiological gluconeogenic precursors was determined and the rates of glucose synthesis by tubules was measured from a precursor mixture which stimulated plasma contents.