‘Ammonia,lactate and blood gases – A user's guide’

Basic biochemical tests are frequently obtained in acutely unwell neonates and children, as well as in some elective situations. Correct interpretation can be invaluable in identifying rare inherited primary metabolic disorders, but secondary causes of hyperammonaemia, elevated blood lactate or blood gas derangement are more common and require appropriate treatment of the underlying cause. This Personal Practice guide provides an overview of these tests and their interpretation.     

氨对重组中国仓鼠卵巢细胞生长及人红细胞生成素表达的影响

氨对重组中国仓鼠卵巢（CHO）细胞的生长具有明显的抑制作用，并遵循二级抑制模型，抑制常数Ka为41．5（mmol/L)^2，即当氨浓度为6．45mmol/L时，细胞的比生长速率下降到最大比生长速率的50％，在重组CHO细胞的批培养过程中，细胞密度和红细胞生成素浓度随着起始氨浓度的提高而下降，但存在一最适的氨浓度，在此浓度下，单位重组CHO细胞的EPO比生成速率最大。     

Exercise metabolism during 1 hour of treadmill walking while taking high and low doses of propranolol,metoprolol, or placebo

Aerobic exercise and beta-blocking drugs are regularly prescribed as treatment for hypertension and as a prophylactic for patients at risk from coronary heart disease and for those recovering from an infarct. Some beta blockers, particularly non-beta₁-selective drugs, may make exercise more difficult, possibly by interfering with substrate metabolism during exercise. This study examined the effects of low and high doses of a beta₁-selective blocker, metoprolol, and a nonselective beta blocker, propranolol, on exercise metabolism. The study involved 20 healthy subjects (10 men, 10 women) who walked on a treadmill at 50% of their maximal oxygen uptake for 1 h on five occasions, separated by 7 days. On each of the five occasions they received one of the following treatments, given in random order: placebo, metoprolol 50 mg, metoprolol 100 mg, propranolol 40 mg, or propranolol 80 mg, all taken twice daily. Fat oxidation, expressed as a percentage of total energy expenditure, was significantly lower than with placebo for all of the active treatments except metoprolol 50 mg (placebo: 42.7 ± 11.6%; metoprolol 50 mg: 38.7 ± 14.1%, p = NS; metoprolol 100 mg: 36.3 ± 13.7%, p = 0.05; propranolol 40 mg: 31.2 ± 9.3%, p = 0.01; propranolol 80 mg: 29.5 ± 10.9%, p = 0.01); and significantly lower with propranolol than with metoprolol (propranolol 40 mg: p = 0.0036; propranolol 80 mg: p = 0.01). Plasma ammonia concentration was significantly higher than with placebo with propranolol 40 mg, propranolol 80 mg, and metoprolol 100 mg (p = 0.01 for all); with metoprolol 50 mg, there was no difference from placebo (p = NS). Both beta blockers in this study reduced fat metabolism and increased perceived exertion to some degree. Additional inhibition of fat oxidation occurred with the nonselective drug, probably in intramuscular rather than adipose lipolysis, and was probably beta₂ mediated. The results of this study suggest that a selective beta blocker has less of an adverse effect on substrate metabolism than does a nonselective beta blocker. Beta₁-selective drugs may offer advantages in patients who undertake regular aerobic exercise.     

The effect of pH and nucleophiles on complement activation by human proximal tubular epithelial cells.

BACKGROUND: Activation of urinary complement proteins in situ by proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTEC) may contribute to the mediation of tubulointerstitial injury in patients with significant proteinuria. However, the mechanism involved is unclear, and the role of changes in urinary pH and in the concentrations of urea or ammonia requires further clarification. METHODS: The protein fraction of urine samples from nine patients with proteinuria >1.5 g/day was purified. A cell ELISA involving cultured HK-2 PTEC was used to investigate the capacity of urinary protein to promote the deposition of both C3 and C9 on the cell surface. The effect of variations in pH (5.5-8.0) and in the concentration of urea and ammonia was also examined. C3 was purified and used to further investigate the mechanism of complement deposition. RESULTS: Urine samples from the majority of patients induced deposition of C3 and C9 on the surface of HK-2 cells via the alternative pathway. This process was maximal at acidic pH values. Preincubation of urinary complement or serum with urea or ammonia inhibited C3 deposition. Purified C3 incubated with HK-2 cells showed no evidence of activation in the absence of other complement components. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that bicarbonate protects against complement-mediated damage in the lumen by increasing the local pH, rather than by inhibiting the generation of ammonia. PTEC appear to activate complement through provision of a 'protected site' on their surface, rather than by the activation of C3 by convertase-like protease(s).     

Profound increase ofHelicobacter pylori urease activity in gastric antral mucosa at low pH

The effect of pH onH. pylori urease activity in its ecological niche was studied in gastric antral biopsy specimens. Specimens were incubated in 10 mmol/liter urea solutions at pH range 3.3–8.2. Activity of urease was studied by measuring production of ammonia and change in pH of the solutions. Urease activity was reduced at pH 8.2 (1424 ± 218 µmol/liter) but decreasing initial pH to neutral and acidic values resulted in significant maximal 6.5-fold increase in ammonia production (9491 ± 1073 µmol/liter,P<0.0005), which considerably raised the pH of the test solutions. Peak urease activity was between pH 5.0 and 7.0. In contrast to specimens incubated initially at pH 8.0, reincubation of washed specimens from solutions with initial pH 7.0 showed eightfold decreased urease activity. It is concluded that urease activity is markedly pH dependent with pH optima below the physiological mucosal surface pH. Furthermore, availability of urease is limited. Thus, an impaired gastric mucosal integrity allowing back diffusion of hydrogen ions may release urease activity, which might further weaken the mucus barrier and damage the gastric epithelium.This study was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Mi 190/3).     

Acid-base equilibrium in exhaled breath condensate of allergic asthmatic children

BACKGROUND: The dysregulation of airway pH control may have a role in asthma pathophysiology. The measurement of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) pH and ammonia levels may be used as a noninvasive method to study acid-base status in the airway of asthmatics. METHODS: Exhaled breath condensate from 29 allergic stable asthmatic children and 13 healthy controls was collected by cooling exhaled air during tidal breathing. Ammonia was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. pH was measured after deaeration of EBC samples by bubbling with argon. The children also underwent FENO measurement. RESULTS: Both pH and ammonia values in EBC were significantly lower in the asthmatics than in the control group [pH: ICS-treated (median and interquartile range) 7.70 (7.62-7.74), steroid-naive 7.53 (7.41-7.68), controls 7.85 (7.80-7.90), P <0.01 and P <0.001, respectively; ammonia: ICS-treated 476.17 microM (282.50-594.80), steroid-naive 253.24 microM (173.43-416.08), controls 788.30 microM (587.29-1310.39), P < 0.05 and P <0.001, respectively]. Both pH and ammonia values were higher in ICS-treated than in steroid-naive asthmatic children. There was a significant correlation between EBC pH and ammonia concentrations. CONCLUSIONS: These data show that EBC pH values of stable asthmatic children are lower compared with those of healthy controls and positively correlated with ammonia concentrations, supporting the hypothesis that airway acidification may have a role in the pathobiology of allergic asthma.     

A301氨合成催化剂本征动力学

对低温,低压,高活性的A301氨合成催化剂的本征动力学进行了研究,实验采用等温积分反应器,在320－480度,6．0MPa-10.0MPa,5000h^-1--30000h^-1的条件下测定了反应器出口氨浓度,建立了Temkin形式的动力学方程,获得了反应的活化能及指前因子。     

Combination of Methods for <Emphasis Type="Italic">in Vitro</Emphasis> Study of Antioxidant Properties of Chemical Compounds

Blood ammonia concentration increased in the portal vein (by 1.4 times) and inferior vena cava (caudal to the renal vein inflow, by 2.2 times; and cranial to the hepatic vein inflow, by 2.5 times) of rats 3 h after intragastric administration of 16.57 M ethanol solution (446 mmol/kg, ≈ 1.4 LD_{50/48 h}). Ammonia concentration in mixed blood samples (post-decapitation) increased by 39%. The rate of ammonia accumulation was 3-fold higher in an intraperitoneal lavage solution. Three-hour exposure of ethanol-treated animals to atmospheric ammonia (0.84–1.07 mg/liter, i.e. ≈ 1/8LC₅₀ for intact rats) was followed by a 2.4-fold increase in blood ammonia concentration as compared to specimens of the ethanol group. Ammonia inhalation potentiated the lethal effect of ethanol (dose variation factor 0.81), suppressed external respiration, and decreased oxygen consumption. Our results indicate that kinetic changes in endogenous ammonia have an adverse effect on the outcome of alcohol intoxication in rats. __________ Translated from Byulleten' Eksperimental'noi Biologii i Meditsiny, Vol. 145, No. 6, pp. 688–690, June, 2008     

Changes in serum ammonia concentration in cirrhotic patients with Helicobacter pylori infection

Objective To study whether liver cirrhosis associated with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection will induce increased serum ammonia and whether the peripher al serum ammonia reflects the level of portal vein serum ammonia. Methods Blood was taken from the portal vein and the cubital vein in cirrhotic patients with and without H. pylori infection and non-cirrhotic patients (splenic rupture) with and without H. pylori infection, and the serum ammonia was measured.Results The mean levels of serum ammonia in the group of cirrhotic patients with H. pylori infection were 167.82±8.97 μmol/L (portal vein) and 142.2±13.35 μmol/L (cubital vein). They were increased significantly as compared with cirrhotic patients without H. pylori infection (47.68±12.03 μmol/L portal vein and 37.23±7.04 μmol/L cubital vein), and also compared with the groups of splenic rupture patients with and without H. pylori infection ( P &lt;0.01). There was no significant difference between the serum ammonia level of the cubital vein and portal vein (P&gt;0.05).Conclusions H. pylori infection can induce an increase in serum ammonia in patients with liver dysfunction, and the peripheral serum ammonia measurement may replace the portal vein serum ammonia as a monitoring method. Eradication of H. pylori in cirrhotic patients may prevent hepatic encephalopathy (HE).