Effect of Hyperammonaemia on Blood Glucose and Plasma Insulin Levels in Sheep

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Abstract
The effects of continuous i.v. infusions (6 h) of NA4Cl (5.6; 11.2; and 16.8 .mu.mol .cntdot. kg-1 .cntdot. min) on plasma glucose and immunoreactive insulin (IRI) levels were studied in 3 adult sheep. Infusions of 5.6 and 11.2 .mu.mol .cntdot. kg-1 .cntdot. min elevated ammonia levels in circulating blood from 100 to 150 and 300 .mu.g .cntdot. 100 ml-1, respectively, but showed no appreciable effect on plasma glucose and IRI concentrations. Infusion of 16.8 .mu.mol .cntdot. kg-1 .cntdot. min-1 resulted in a blood ammonia concentration of about 400 .mu.g .cntdot. 100 ml-1 after 6 h of infusion. Blood ammonia returned to normal 1-2 h after the end of infusion. Plasma glucose concentration tended to increase slightly from 65 to 75 mg .cntdot. 100 ml-1 when 16.8 .mu.mol of NH4Cl were infused kg-1 .cntdot. min-1 and remained at the elevated level at least for 2 additional hours when ammonia infusions were stopped. Plasma IRI tended to decrease from 48 to 38 .mu.U[units] .cntdot. ml-1 during the time of the NH4Cl infusion and increased continually to 82 .mu.U .cntdot. ml-1 when NH4Cl infusions were stopped. From the time courses of plasma glucose and plasma IRI that the effect of ammonia infusion on these parameters cannot entirely be explained by a regulatory release of adrenaline [epinephrine].

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