Abstract
Hyperammonemia plays a central role in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy but the mechanisms that lead to such a dysfunction of the brain are not yet fully understood. It is also unknown how enzymes of ammonia and glutamate metabolism in different brain areas respond to an excess of ammonia. We investigated the effect of ammonia on the catalytic activities of key enzymes of ammonia and glutamate metabolism in mitochondria and cytoplasm of the neocortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, striatum, and liver. We found that acute hyperammonemia caused by administration of a lethal dose of ammonium acetate to rats led to an increase in the ammonia content in all tissues, which correlated with the initial endogenous ammonia content in these tissues. The activities of all analyzed enzymes, glutamine synthetase, glutaminase, glutamate dehydrogenase, adenosine deaminase, AMP-deaminase, aspartate aminotransferase, and alanine aminotransferase, was unevenly distributed in four brain areas and the liver and changed differently in acute ammonia intoxication. The results suggest that enzymes of glutamate and ammonia metabolism are functionally different in different tissues, while the mechanisms of the regulation of these enzymes are fundamentally different in the liver, neocortex, cerebellum, striatum, and hippocampus. These data make a new contribution to our understanding of the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy and other forms of hyperammonemia.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- ADA:
-
adenosine deaminase
- ALT:
-
alanine aminotransferase
- AST:
-
aspartate aminotransferase
- GDH:
-
glutamate dehydrogenase
- GS:
-
glutamine synthetase
References
Rama Rao, K.V. and Norenberg, M.D., Neurochem. Int., 2012, vol. 2, pp. 697–706.
Kosenko, E., Kaminsky, Yu., Grau, E., Minana, M.D., Marcaida, G., Grisolia, S., and Felipo, V., J. Neuro-chem., 1994, vol. 2, pp. 2172–2178.
Kosenko, E., Felipo, V., Montoliu, C., Grisolia, S., and Kaminsky, Yu., Metab. Brain Dis., 1997, vol. 2, pp. 69–82.
Bachmann, C., Clin. Chem. Lab. Med., 2002, vol. 2, pp. 653–662.
Kosenko, E., Venediktova, N., Kaminsky, Y., Monto-liu, C., and Felipo, V., Brain Res., 2003, vol. 2, pp. 193–200.
Kosenko, E., Venediktova, N., Kaminsky, Y., Monto-liu, C., and Felipo, V., Brain Res. Brain Res. Protoc., 2001, vol. 2, pp. 248–254.
Kaminskii, Yu.G., Solomadin, I.N., Marov, N.V., and Kosenko, E.A., Neirokhimiya, 2007, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 30–36.
Kosenko, E., Kaminsky, Y., Kaminsky, A., Valencia, M., Lee, L., Hermenegildo, C., and Felipo, V., Free Radic. Res., 1997, vol. 2, pp. 637–644.
Curthoys, N.P. and Lowry, O.H., J. Biol. Chem., 1973, vol. 2, pp. 162–168.
Schmidt, E. and Schmidt, F.W., in Method. Enzymat. Anal. V. III, Bergmeyer, H.U., Ed.,. Weinheim: Verlag Chemie, 1984, pp. 216–227.
Meister, A., Methods Enzymol., 1985, vol. 2, pp. 185–199.
Kaminsky, Y. and Kosenko, E., Brain Res., 2010, vol. 2, pp. 175–181.
Lowry, O.H., Rosebrough, N.J., Farr, A.L., and Ran-dall, R.J., J. Biol. Chem., 1951, vol. 2, pp. 265–275.
Bergmeyer, H.U. and Beutler, H.O., in Method. Enzy-mat. Anal. V. VIII, Bergmeyer, H.U., Ed.,. Weinheim: Verlag Chemie, 1985, pp. 454–461.
Kaminskii, Yu.G. and Kosenko, E.A., Izv. Akad. Nauk SSSR, Ser. Biol., 1987, no. 2, pp. 196–202.
Subbalakshmi, G.Y. and Murthy, C.R., Neurosci. Lett., 1985, vol. 2, pp. 121–126.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Original Russian Text © E.A. Kosenko, L.A. Tikhonova, Yu.G. Kaminsky, 2015, published in Neirokhimiya, 2015, Vol. 32, No. 2, pp. 160–168.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kosenko, E.A., Tikhonova, L.A. & Kaminsky, Y.G. Ammonia and enzymes of ammonia metabolism in different brain regions in hyperammonemia. Neurochem. J. 9, 133–140 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1134/S1819712415020087
Received:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S1819712415020087