title: Ammonia production and its contribution to urinary nitrogenous compounds in chickens fed low or high protein diet.
abstract: The rates of total ammonia production and of ammonia retention and contribution of endogenous ammonia to urinary nitrogenous compounds were assessed using a constant intravenous infusion method with [15N]ammonia for 6 h in adult cockerels fed 7.00 or 1.75 g of protein per kilogram body weight per day for 5 d. At the 7.00-g protein intake level the mean total body ammonia production rate was 47.1 mumol/kg per min, with total excretion and retention rates being 10.1 mumol/kg per min and 37.0 mumol/kg per min, respectively. In birds with 1.75 g protein intake the mean total body ammonia production rate was 27.9 mumol/kg per min, with total excretion and retention rates being 3.1 mumol/kg per min and 24.8 mumol/kg per min, respectively. These values were significantly different between the two dietary groups (P less than 0.05-0.01). Ammonia N produced at low and high levels of dietary protein intake, contributed 33% and 84% of urinary uric acid N and 27% and 58% of urinary total N, respectively. With the above protein intake levels, 88% of urinary ammonia N and 6-9% of urinary nitrogenous compounds other than ammonia and uric acid were donated by ammonia N produced in the body. It is concluded that ammonia N produced in the body is the main source of uric acid N, which entirely explains the increase in urinary total N caused by feeding a high protein diet.
mesh_terms: D000641:Ammonia / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000652:urine; D000818:Animals; D002645:Chickens / Q000378:metabolism*; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008433:Mathematics; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000652:urine*; D014527:Uric Acid / Q000652:urine
chemical_list: D004044:Dietary Proteins; D014527:Uric Acid; D000641:Ammonia; D009584:Nitrogen