The present study utilized [15N]glutamine labeled at amide (5-N) and amino (2-N) groups to analyze the metabolic fate of glutamine nitrogen in basal and in acute pH regulation of ammoniagenesis. One-hour incubation of LLC-PK1 cultures in a media of pH 7.4, 7.0, or 7.6 containing either [5-15N]glutamine or [2-15N]glutamine resulted in parallel alterations in glutamine consumption in response to acute acid-base maneuvers. Incubation with [5-15N]glutamine resulted in substantial enrichment and production of ammonia at pH 7.4, which was unaffected by the changes in media pH, and in no significant enrichment of alanine, aspartate, and glutamate. In contrast, significant enrichment and production of 15N-labeled ammonia, alanine, aspartate, and glutamate were detected from cultures incubated with [2-15N]glutamine. Ammonia formation, from incubation with [2-15N]glutamine, was stimulated significantly by a low pH and inhibited by high pH. Alanine production was altered in a fashion similar to ammonia formation, whereas aspartate production was unaltered and glutamate formation significantly decreased by a low pH. Furthermore, a low pH significantly increased the production of alpha-ketoglutaramate in a fashion qualitatively similar to alanine production. In contrast to our prior conclusions based on total metabolite production, these studies indicate that although ammonia formation at pH 7.4 is predominantly generated from the mitochondrial phosphate-dependent glutaminase pathway, the increased ammonia formation in acute acidosis is a result of increased flux through glutamate dehydrogenase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)