title: Carbamyl glutamate prevents the potentiation of ammonia toxicity by sodium benzoate.
abstract: Sodium benzoate has been recommended for the treatment of hyperammonaemia in humans. However, benzoate potentiates ammonia toxicity and reduces urea synthesis in vitro and in vivo by decreasing the intramitochondrial levels of N-acetyl glutamate. Pretreatment of mice with carbamyl glutamate, a structural analogue of N-acetyl glutamate, decreases mortality induced by ammonium acetate and sodium benzoate administration. The protective effect of carbamyl glutamate is accompanied by an increase in urea production and of carbamyl phosphate synthetase activity.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Investigaciones Citológicas de la Caja de Ahorros de Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Costell
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grisolía
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D001565:Benzoates / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019817:Benzoic Acid; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005971:Glutamates / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D014508:Urea / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001565:Benzoates; D005971:Glutamates; C006895:N-carbamylglutamate; D000641:Ammonia; D019817:Benzoic Acid; D014508:Urea