Summary
The intestinal ammonium production and the intestinal uptake of circulating glutamine were investigated in anesthetized intact rats and rats with resected small intestine or colon by simultaneous measurements performed on portal and arterial blood. It was shown that ammonium release into the portal blood by the small intestine is of equal magnitude to that released by the colon, and that circulating glutamine participates in ammonium production by the small intestine. Increased levels of circulating glutamine induced by its i.v. infusion to intact rats were not accompanied by an increase in intestinal ammonium production.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Walser M, Bodenlos LJ (1959) Urea metabolism in man. J Clin Invest 38:1617–1626
Summerskill WHJ, Wolpert E (1970) Ammonia metabolism in the gut. Am J Clin Nutr 23:633–639
Wrong O (1978) Nitrogen metabolism in the gut. Am J Clin Nutr 31:1587–1593
Imler M, Schlienger JL (1979) The effect of chronic uremia on portal and systemic ammonemia in normal and portal strictured rats. J Lab Clin Med 94:872–878
Warren KS, Newton WL (1959) Portal and peripheral blood ammonia concentrations in germ-free and conventional guinea pigs. Am J Physiol 197:717–720
Nance FC, Kline DG (1971) Eck's fistula encephalopathy in germ-free dogs. Ann Surg 174:856–862
Imler M, Peter B, Schlienger JL, Lavillaureix J, Stahl J (1975) L'ammoniogénèse intestinale du rat normal. Etude comparative de l'action des antibiotiques et du lactulose. Med Chir Dig 4:15–20
Imler M, Schlienger JL, Frick A (1978) Comparative study of ammonia and glutamine levels in blood and in cerebrospinal fluid in hepatic encephalopathy. In: Wewalka F, Dragosics B (eds) Aminosäuren, Ammoniak und hepatische Enzephalopathie. Fischer, Stuttgart New York, pp 105–117
Schalm SW, Van der Mey T (1979) Hyperammonemic coma after hepatectomy in germfree rats. Gastroenterology 77:231–234
Matsutaka H, Aikawa T, Yamamoto H, Ishikawa E (1973) Gluconeogenesis and amino acid metabolism. III. Uptake of glutamine and output of alanine and ammonia by non-hepatic splanchnic organs of fasted rats and their metabolic significance. J Biochem (Tokyo) 74:1019–1029
Windmueller HG, Spaeth AE (1974) Uptake and metabolism of plasma glutamine by the small intestine. J Biol Chem 249:5070–5079
Weber FL, Veach GL (1979) The importance of the small intestine in gut ammonium production in the fasting dog. Gastroenterology 77:235–240
Imler M, Frick A, Schlienger JL, Stahl A (1979) An automated microassay for blood ammonia. J Clin Chem Clin Biochem 17:247–250
Stahl A, Frick A, Imler M, Schlienger JL (1978) Enzymic microassay for blood glutamine. Clin Chem 24:1730–1733
Sapirstein LA, Sapirstein EH, Bredemeyer A (1960) Effect of hemorrhage on the cardiac output and its distribution in the rat. Circ Res 8:135–148
Blanchet L, Lebrec D (1982) Changes in splanchnic blood flow in portal hypertensive rats. Eur J Clin Invest 12:327–330
Vorobioff J, Bredfeldt JE, Groszmann RJ (1983) Hyperdynamic circulation in portalhypertensive rat model: A primary factor for maintenance of chronic portal hypertension. Am J Physiol 244 (Gastrointest Liver Physiol 7):G52-G57
Windmueller HG, Spaeth AE (1975) Intestinal metabolism of glutamine and glutamate from the lumen as compared to glutamine from blood. Arch Biochem Biophys 171:662–672
Pinkus LM, Windmueller HG (1977) Phosphate-dependent glutaminase of small intestine: localization and role in intestinal glutamine metabolism. Arch Biochem Biophys 182:506–517
Soeters PB, Van Leeuven PAM, Janssen MA, De Boer JEG, Goossens HM, Van Eyck HMA, Brombacher P, De Jonge H, Van Den Bogaard EJM (1984) Metabolic generation of ammonia and amino acids in the intestinal wall and the influence of neomycin and lactulose. In: Kleinberger G, Ferenci P, Riederer P, Thaler H (eds) Advances in hepatic encephalopathy and urea cycle diseases. Karger, Basel, pp 147–153
Imler M, Peter B, Schlienger JL, Frick A, Lavillaureix J, Stahl J (1974) Influence du régime alimentaire et de divers médicaments sur l'ammoniogénèse intestinale du rat normal. In: Imler M, Szam I (eds) Neue Erkenntnisse zum Ammoniakstoffwechsel. Witzstrock, Baden-Baden Brüssel, pp 213–228
Conn HO, Leevy CM, Vlahcevic ZR, Rodgers JB, Maddrey WC, Seeff L, Levy LL (1977) Comparison of lactulose and neomycin in the treatment of chronic portal-systemic encephalopathy: A double-blind controlled trial. Gastroenterology 72:573–583
Bockel R, Doffoël M (1981) Lavage digestif au mannitol dans les hémorragies digestives du cirrhotique. Etude des variations de l'ammoniémie et de l'amino-acidémie chez 28 malades. Nouv Presse Méd 10:33–36
Ganda OP, Ruderman NB (1976) Muscle nitrogen metabolism in chronic hepatic insufficiency. Metabolism 25:427–435
Imler M, Schlienger JL, Frick A, Stahl A, Chabrier C (1982) Study of muscular glutamine and alanine release in cirrhotics with hyperammonemia and in ammonium-infused rats. In: Holm E (ed) Aminosäuren- und Ammoniak-Stoffwechsel bei Leberinsuffizienz. Witzstrock, Baden-Baden Köln New York, pp 33–39
Welbourne T, Weber M, Bank N (1972) The effect of glutamine administration on urinary amonium excretion in normal subjects and patients with renal disease. J Clin Invest 51:1852–1860
Imler M, Schlienger JL, Chabrier G, Comte F (1983) Origine rénale de l'hyperammoniémie provoquée par un régime hyperprotidique chez le rat normal ou porteur d'une stricture portale. Gastroentérol Clin Biol 7:740–745
Imler M, Schlienger JL, Chabrier G, Simon C (1986) Arterial ammonemia changes of renal origin induced in the rat by acid and alkaline diets. Res Exp Med (Berl) 186:353–363
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Imler, M., Chabrier, G., Simon, C. et al. Intestinal ammonium production in the rat: The role of the colon, small intestine, and circulating glutamine. Res. Exp. Med. 188, 1–7 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01852088
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01852088