Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Effect of biotin on ammonia intoxication in rats and mice

  • Liver, Pancreas, and Biliary Tract
  • Published:
Journal of Gastroenterology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The effects of biotin on ammonia concentration in blood and brain were evaluated in hyperammonemic rats and mice. Rats were injected with 5 mmol/kg BW of ammonium acetate, and mice were injected with 10 mmol/kg BW. Increases in blood ammonia levels in rats 15–30 min after ammonia loading were prevented by treatment with 0.2 ml/100 g BW of biotin or 0.04 ml/100g BW of arginineglutamate with statistical significance. Blood ammonia levels after ammonia loading were lower, although not significantly, in the arginine glutamate-treated rats than in the biotin-treated animals. In mice also, increases in blood and brain ammonia levels after ammonia loading were prevented by the administration of biotin. The decrease in brain glutamate and aspartate after ammonia loading was lower and the brain glutamine level was higher in biotin-treated mice than in the controls. These findings indicate the protective effect of biotin against ammonia intoxication.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Bonjour JP. Biotin. In: Machlin LJ (ed) Handbook of vitamins. New York: Marcel Dekker, 1984;403–435.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bachmann C, Colombo JP, Gugler E, et al. Biotin and Rett syndrome. Am J Med Genet 1986;24[Suppl 1]:320–330.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Paulose CS, Thliveris JA, Viswanathan M, Dakshinamurti K. Testicular function in biotin-deficient adult rats. Horm Metab Res 1989;21:661–665.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Amman AJ. Immunodeficiency with multiple carboxylase deficiency. In: Stiehm ER (ed) Immunologic disorders in infants and children. WS Saunders, 1989;285–286.

  5. Wolf B, Grier RE, McVor JS, et al. Biotinidase deficiency: A novel vitamin recycling defect. J Inherited Metab Dis 1985; 8[Suppl 1]:53–58.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Nagamine T, Saito S, Yamada S, et al. Biotinidase activity in patients with liver disease. Scand J Gastroenterol 1993;28:899–2906.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Nagamine T, Saito S, Yamada S, et al. The effect of biotin on the metabolism of ammonia and amino acids in urease-induced hyperammonemic rats (in Japanese with English abstract). Jpn J Gastroenterol 1989;86:1519–1524.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Nagamine T, Saito S, Kaneko M, et al. Protective effect of biotin on experimental hyperammonemic mice (in Japanese). Acta Hepatol Jap 1991;32[Suppl 1]:105.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Najarian JS, Harper HA. A comparison of arginine andl-glutamic acid in the treatment of ammonia toxicity. Surg Forum 1965;7:438–441.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Rooney E, O'Donovan. Brain enzyme levels during intraperitoneal injections of ammonium acetate. Biochem Pharmacol 1975;24:1995–1996.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. O'Conner JE, Costell M, Grisolia S. Protective effect ofl-carnitine on hyperammonemia. FEBS Lett 1984;166:331–334.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Okuda H, Fujii S, Kawashima Y. A direct colorimetric determination of blood ammonia. Tokushima J Exp Med 1965;12:11–23.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Kun E, Kearney EB. Ammonia. In: Bergmeyer HV (ed) Methods of enzymatic analysis. New York: Academic, 1974; 1802–1806.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Hod G, Chauat M, Haskel Y, et al. Ammonia uptake by skeletal muscle in hyperammonemic rat. Eur J Clin Invest 1982; 12:445–450.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Cooper AJL, McDonald JM, Gelbard AS, et al. The metabolic fate of N-labeled ammonia in rat brain. J Biol Chem 1979;254:4982–4992.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Maeda Y, Kawata S, Inui Y, et al. Changes in activities of urea cycle enzymes in the liver of rats with biotin deficiency (in Japanese with English abstract). Prog Med Sci 1991;158:381–382.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Cooper AJ, Plum F. Biochemistry and physiology of brain ammonia. Physiol Rev 1987;67:440–519.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Rodwell VW. Catabolism of amino acid, nitrogen. In: Murray RK, Mayes PA, Rodwell VW (eds) Harper's biochemistry. 21st ed.: Appleton and Lange, 1988;271–280.

  19. Yu AGH, Drejer J, Herzt L, Shousboe A. Pyruvate carboxylase activity in primary cultures of astracytes and neurons. J Neurochem 1983;41:1484–1487.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nagamine, T., Saito, S., Kaneko, M. et al. Effect of biotin on ammonia intoxication in rats and mice. J Gastroenterol 30, 351–355 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02347511

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02347511

Key words

Navigation