Serum ammonia levels in response to glycine infusion in normal and cirrhotic rats.

Elevated serum ammonia may play a role in central nervous system derangement after transurethral resection of the prostate. Glycine used as a surgical irrigant for prostate resection produces ammonia as a by-product after liver and renal metabolism. The presence of liver dysfunction often leads to an inability to remove generated ammonia from the circulation. To determine whether the presence of cirrhosis allows significant metabolism of glycine and the resulting serum ammonia levels generated, the production of ammonia after glycine infusion was examined in normal and cirrhotic rats. Hepatic microsomal enzyme induction was produced in male Sprague-Dawley rats given sodium phenobarbital, added to the drinking water to hasten the development of cirrhosis, by increasing the toxicity of carbon tetrachloride given intragastrically to one group at weekly intervals for production of cirrhosis. A control group was maintained under similar conditions except for carbon tetrachloride dosing. The end point for production of cirrhosis was the development of ascites. Two weeks after the development of ascites in the cirrhotic rats and the discontinuation of phenobarbital in both groups, both control and cirrhotic rats were anesthetized with IP pentobarbital and glycine (1.25 g/kg; 7.5%) was given intravenously. Venous blood samples were taken at intervals up to 120 min for serum ammonia analysis. After the final serum ammonia sample, lethal pentobarbital injection was given and livers and kidneys removed for histologic analysis. Terminal body weight, glycine dose, and renal histology were not different between groups. Liver weights were greater in cirrhotic rats. Baseline serum ammonia levels were also greater int he cirrhotic rats.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)