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Hyperammonemia, or high ammonia levels, is a metabolic disturbance characterised by an excess of ammonia in the blood. Severe hyperammonemia is a dangerous condition that may lead to brain injury and death. It may be primary or secondary. Ammonia is a substance that contains nitrogen. It is a product of the catabolism of protein.
If a hyperammonemic episode occurs, the aim of treatment is to reduce the individual's ammonia levels as soon as possible. In extreme cases, this can involve hemodialysis. [4] Gene therapy had been considered a possibility for curative treatment for OTC deficiency, and clinical trials were taking place at the University of Pennsylvania in the ...
Lactulose is useful in treating hyperammonemia (high blood ammonia), which can lead to hepatic encephalopathy. Lactulose helps trap the ammonia (NH 3 ) in the colon and bind to it. [ 16 ] It does this by using gut flora to acidify the colon, transforming the freely diffusible ammonia into ammonium ions ( NH +
[2] [6] It may be supported by blood ammonia levels, an electroencephalogram, or computer tomography (CT scan) of the brain. [4] [6] Hepatic encephalopathy is possibly reversible with treatment. [1] This typically involves supportive care and addressing the triggers of the event. [4] Lactulose is frequently used to decrease ammonia levels. [1]
Hyperammonemia occurs when the body produces excess ammonia. This ammonia primarily exists as ammonium ion that has a concentration less than or around 35 μmol/L in normal referenced serum levels. [3] Excess ammonia is processed in the liver through the urea cycle to produce urea. [3]
A potential treatment for the high ammonia levels is to give sodium benzoate, which combines with glycine to produce hippurate, at the same time removing an ammonium group. Biotin also plays an important role in the functioning of the OTC enzyme [19] and has been shown to reduce ammonia intoxication in animal experiments. Additionally, the use ...
Argininemia is an autosomal recessive urea cycle disorder where a deficiency of the enzyme arginase causes a buildup of arginine and ammonia in the blood.Ammonia, which is formed when proteins are broken down in the body, is toxic if levels become too high; the nervous system is especially sensitive to the effects of excess ammonia.
Osmoregulation is the active regulation of the osmotic pressure of an organism's body fluids, detected by osmoreceptors, to maintain the homeostasis of the organism's water content; that is, it maintains the fluid balance and the concentration of electrolytes (salts in solution which in this case is represented by body fluid) to keep the body fluids from becoming too diluted or concentrated.