Administering D-aldosterone, 7 microgram 100 g-1, to rats results in a marked rise in ammonium excretion and metabolic alkalosis. Increased ammonium excretion is not related to either a significant elevation in potassium excretion nor to hypokalemia. Consequently, potassium depletion does not appear to be the causative factor in the aldosterone-stimulated ammonium excretion. Isolated kidneys from aldosterone-treated rats, perfused with 1 mM L-glutamine, produced twice as much ammonia from glutamine as did controls. Ammonia production per glutamine extracted increased from 1.33 +/- 0.07 in control to 1.79 +/- 0.08 in kidneys from hormone-treated rats, suggesting stimulation of the mitochondrial glutaminase I-glutamate dehydrogenase pathway; this was supported by a proportional rise in production of glucose and CO2, end products of glutamine's carbon skeleton. Consequently, aldosterone-stimulated renal ammonia production, by specifically activating the mitochondrial pathway, leads to the elimination of hydrogen ions in the form of urinary ammonium excretion and an ensuing metabolic alkalosis.