title: Citric, orotic, and other organic acids in rats injected with active or inactive urease.
abstract: Male rats were fed laboratory chow or a purified L-amino acid diet containing 11.2 or 5.6 g arginine/kg. Hyperammonemia was produced by injection of crystalline jackbean urease. Control animals were injected with saline or inactivated urease. Rats injected with 55 U urease activity/kg body wt (an LD50 dose) exhibited acute signs of hyperammonemia and elevated orotate and citrate in their urine. Plasma glucose, lactate, citrate, and alpha-ketoglutarate concentrations were also markedly elevated. Three injections of active urease (10 U/kg body wt) given at intervals of about 10 h produced hyperammonemia, which persisted for 25 h after the first injection. Blood glucose and ammonia concentrations were increased 2.6- and 22-fold, respectively, when compared with controls. Total urinary citrate excretion for 25 h was 371 mueq for active urease-injected rats compared with 62 mueq for rats injected with inactivated urease. Rats fed a purified amino acid diet containing 5.6 g arginine/kg excreted greater quantities of urea, citrate, and orotic acid than rats fed 11.2 g arginine/kg of diet. Injection of active urease increased citrate excretion by rats fed either concentration of dietary arginine. Changes produced with active urease were not observed if inactivated urease was injected.
mesh_terms: D000085:Acetates / Q000097:blood; D000641:Ammonia / Q000097:blood*; D000818:Animals; D001120:Arginine / Q000172:deficiency; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002951:Citrates / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D005561:Formates / Q000097:blood; D007656:Ketoglutaric Acids / Q000097:blood; D007773:Lactates / Q000097:blood; D008293:Malates / Q000652:urine; D008297:Male; D009963:Orotic Acid / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000652:urine; D011773:Pyruvates / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D013386:Succinates / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D014510:Urease / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002951:Citrates; D005561:Formates; D007656:Ketoglutaric Acids; D007773:Lactates; D008293:Malates; D011773:Pyruvates; D013386:Succinates; D009963:Orotic Acid; D000641:Ammonia; D014508:Urea; D001120:Arginine; D014510:Urease