Paradoxical protection of both protein-free and high protein diets against acute ammonium intoxication.
Rats were fed standard (20% protein), protein-free or high protein (80%) diets for 15 days and then injected intraperitoneally with ammonium acetate (7 mmol/Kg). Survival was 6%, 75% and 100%, respectively, for rats fed standard, protein-free and high protein diets. After injection of 6 mmol/Kg of ammonium acetate, blood ammonia reached a peak (at ca. 2 mM) after 7, 25 and 30 min for rats fed high protein, protein-free and standard diets, respectively. The results presented indicate that protection in the high protein group is due to faster detoxication of ammonia via a more active urea cycle while the tolerance of the protein-free group to higher levels of ammonia remains to be clarified.
D000085:Acetates / Q000633:toxicity*; D000641:Ammonia / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005973:Glutamine / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009132:Muscles / Q000378:metabolism; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012016:Reference Values; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood
D000085:Acetates; D004044:Dietary Proteins; D005973:Glutamine; D000641:Ammonia; D014508:Urea; C018824:ammonium acetate