Mechanism by which dietary protein enhances renal concentrating ability

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut

Renal ability to concentrate nonurea solutes in the urine is improved in dogs by feeding protein. This effect is most apparent during osmotic diuresis induced by mannitol and, though partially explicable by increases in GFR, the data suggest that other factors are also involved. The enhanced concentrating ability of protein-fed dogs is probably related to an increased concentration of both sodium and potassium in the renal papilla.