N-Carbamoyl Glutamate Prevents Ammonia Intoxication in Piglets with Reduced Liver Function

Abstract

Ammonia as the end product of protein catabolism has a depressing effect on neurons. Ammonia neutralization in mammals occurs in the ornithine cycle, the activity of which is regulated mainly at the level of synthesis of N-Carbamoyl phosphate. The Krebs cycle is coupled with the ornithine cycle through a common substrate—arginine succinate. Therefore, the effects of ammonia neutralization and the processes of amino acid and energy metabolism are largely interrelated. This study is aimed at evaluating the  efficacy of an N-carbamoyl glutamate additive in terms of optimizing metabolic processes and improving ammonia neutralization in suckling piglets. The experiment was conducted on two groups of piglets (n=15) formed at the age of 24 hours. Piglets in the experimental group were fed with an aqueous solution of the drug at  a dose of 10 mg/kg of body weight once daily. The duration of feeding the supplement was 30 days; the average daily gain in body weight was determined at weaning at the age of 30 days. An analysis of the blood biochemical composition was carried out on the 30th day from the onset of the experiment. At the end of feeding the supplement in the experimental group, a decrease in the content of ammonia (p<0.05) and urea in blood plasma, an increase in the concentration of arginine (p<0.05) and triacylglycerols (p<0.05) in comparison with the control group was revealed. The N-carbamoyl glutamate additive under study stimulates the endogenous production of the arginine essential amino acid, neutralizes ammonia formed in metabolic processes, and optimizes the amount of metabolic energy spent on binding ammonia in the urea cycle.