[Effect of sodium hydroxybutyrate on the ammonia level in the rat muscles under physical exercise].

The experiments on rats exposed to compulsory swimming have shown the normalizing effect of sodium hydroxybutyrate with respect to one of the biochemical indices of physical overwork: the ammonia level in cross-striated muscles. In control rats who had not received the drug, the swimming induced a significant (more than twofold) increase in the muscle tissue ammonia level, whereas animals preventively treated with sodium hydroxybutyrate (single administration or two-week course) demonstrated no ammonia accumulation. It is suggested that sodium hydroxybutyrate preventing the toxic effect of one of the end products of nitrogen metabolism may reduce afteraction of muscular overwork.