THE RÔLE OF AMMONIA IN CLINICAL SYNDROMES
Authors: S. P. BESSMAN
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1956)

Editorial1 May 1956THE RÔLE OF AMMONIA IN CLINICAL SYNDROMESS. P. BESSMANS. P. BESSMANSearch for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-44-5-1037 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptIn the latter part of the nineteenth century an operation to shunt portal blood around the liver was developed by Eck. The advantage of using this operation to study liver function in the experimental animal was recognized by a number of investigators. By 1893, it was known that a dog, operated upon in this manner, could no longer tolerate a high protein diet.1A characteristic syndrome developed after a short time. The dog became irritable, then would walk with a staggering gait, lifting its feet high and slapping them down on the floor. As forced meat feeding continued, the animal...1 HahnMassenNenckiPavlov MVMJ: Die Eck'sche Fistel zwischen der unteren Hohlvene und der Pfortader und ihre Folgen für den Organismus, Arch. f. exper. Path. u. Pharmakol. 32: 161, 1893. CrossrefGoogle Scholar2 Parnas JK: Biochem. Ztschr. 155: 247, 1925. Embden, G., and Wassermeyer, H.: Über die Bedeutung der Adenylsaure für die Muskelfunktion, das Verhalten der Ammoniakbildung bei der Muskelarbeit unter verschiedenen biologischen Bedingungen, Ztschr. f. physiol. Chem. 179: 161, 1928. Google Scholar3 HugounenqFlorence MMG: Notes de laboratoire sur les derives de quelques acids amines, Compt. rend. Soc. de chim. biol. 3: 174, 1921. Google Scholar4 FolinDenis OW: Protein metabolism from the standpoint of blood and tissue analysis: origin and significance of the ammonia in the portal blood, J. Biol. Chem. 11: 161, 1912. Cholopoff, A. D.: Herkunft und Verteilung des Blutammoniaks nach Untersuchungen an angiostomieten Hunden, Arch. f. d. ges. 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Google Scholar9 PhillipsSchwartzGabuzdaDavidson GBRGJCS: Syndrome of impending hepatic coma in patients with cirrhosis of liver given certain nitrogenous substances, New England J. Med. 247: 239, 1952. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar10 McDermottAdams WVRD: Episodic stupor associated with Eck fistula in human with particular reference to metabolism of ammonia, J. Clin. Investigation 33: 1, 1954. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar11 Whipple AO: Rationale of portacaval anastomosis, Bull. N. Y. Acad. Med. 22: 251, 1946. Google Scholar12 WalsheSenior JMB: Disturbances of cystine metabolism in liver disease, J. Clin. Investigation 34: 302, 1955. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar13 ChallengerWalshe FJM: Methyl mercaptan in relation to foetor hepaticus, Biochem. J. 58: xxviii, 1954. Google Scholar14 SherlockSummerskillWhitePhear SWHLPEA: Portal systemic encephalopathy: neurological complications of liver disease, Lancet 2: 453, 1954. CrossrefGoogle Scholar15 TerroineLauresco EFC: La liberation de l'ammoniaque au cours des proteolyses enzymatiques, Arch. internat. de physiol. 42: 205, 1935. Melnykowyez, J., and Johansson, K. R.: Formation of amines by intestinal microorganisms and the influence of chlortetracycline, J. Exper. Med. 101: 507, 1955. Google Scholar16 BessmanBradley SPJE: Uptake of ammonia by muscle, New England J. Med. 253: 1143, 1955. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar17 AdamsFoley RDJM: The neurological disorder associated with liver disease, Research Publ., A. Nerv. and Ment. Dis. 32: 198, 1953. MedlineGoogle Scholar18 BessmanBessman SPAN: Cerebral and peripheral uptake of ammonia in liver disease with hypothesis for mechanism of hepatic coma, J. Clin. Investigation 32: 622, 1955. Bessman, S. P., and Bessman, A. N.: Ammonia poisoning of hepatic coma—cerebral arteriovenous amino acid levels, Lancet 2: 336, 1954; and Fed. Proc. 13: 336, 1954. CrossrefGoogle Scholar19 GullinoWinitzBirnbaumCornfieldOteyGreenstein PMSJMJP: The toxicity of individual essential amino acid mixtures with special reference to the protective effect of 1-arginine, Arch. Biochem. and Biophys. 58: 255, 1955. Greenstein, J. P., Winitz, M., Gullino, P., and Birnbaum, S.: The prevention of ammonia toxicity by 1-arginine and related compounds, Arch. Biochem. and Biophys. 59: 302, 1955, and personal communication. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar20 Walshe JM: The effect of glutamic acid on the coma of hepatic failure, Lancet 1: 1075, 1953. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar21 McDermottWarehamRiddell WVJAG: Treatment of "hepatic coma" with 1-glutamic acid, New England J. Med. 253: 1093, 1955. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar22 BessmanEvans ANJ: Blood ammonia in congestive heart failure, Am. Heart J., 1955. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar23 NelsonSeligson RMD: Studies on blood ammonia in normal and shock states, Surgery 34: 1, 1953. MedlineGoogle Scholar24 ParnasKlisiecki JKA: Über den Ammoniakgehalt und die Ammoniakbildung im Blute. Vl, Biochem. Ztschr. 173: 224, 1926. Google Scholar25 BoyceVest WHSA: A new concept concerning treatment of exstrophy of the bladder, J. Urol. 67: 169, 1952. CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar26 Fuld H: Über die diagnostische Verwertbarkeit von Ammoniakbestimmungen im Blut, Klin. Wchnschr. 12: 1364, 1933. CrossrefGoogle Scholar27 Bessman SP: In preparation. Google Scholar28 Bessman SP, in McElroy, W. V., and Glass, H. B.: Ammonia metabolism in animals. Inorganic nitrogen metabolism, Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore, Maryland, 1955. Google Scholar29 WebsterDavidson LTCS: Production of impending hepatic coma by a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, Diamox, Proc. Soc. Exper. Biol. and Med., 91: No. 1. CrossrefGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: S. P. BESSMAN PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byComparative studies of the electroencephalogram and the cerebral oxidative metabolism in patients with liver cirrhosisAmmoniak als Lebensmittelbestandteil und als MetabolitThe Encephalopathy of Portacaval Shunt (Eck Fistula)Basic Science Review : Maturational Deficiencies of the Fetus and NewbornPsychological Changes Associated with Induced HyperammonemiaDistribution of ammonia across the blood-cerebrospinal fluid barrier in patients with hepatic failureLaboratory notesHepatic ComaAnaesthesie, Vor- und NachbehandlungBlood Ammonia Determination as a Diagnostic Tool in the Differentiation of Upper Gastrointestinal BleedingParenchymatous Liver Disease (1956-1957)Hepatic ComaHepatic comaLeberAmmonia intoxication during treatment of alkalosis in a patient with normal liver functionINVESTIGATION OF AMINO ACIDURIA IN ERYTHROBLASTOSIS FŒTALIS AND ITS POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP TO KERNICTERUSZur Therapie diffuser hepatocellulärer Erkrankungen (Hepatitis, Cirrhose usw.)A clinical study of the effect of arginine on blood ammonia 1 May 1956Volume 44, Issue 5Page: 1037-1043KeywordsAmmoniaBloodLiverMeatProteins ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 May 1956 PDF downloadLoading ...