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Metabolic Brain Disease
Published in: Metabolic Brain Disease 2/2017

01-04-2017 | Original Article

Ammonia toxicity: from head to toe?

Authors: Srinivasan Dasarathy, Rajeshwar P. Mookerjee, Veronika Rackayova, Vinita Rangroo Thrane, Balasubramaniyan Vairappan, Peter Ott, Christopher F. Rose

Published in: Metabolic Brain Disease | Issue 2/2017

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Abstract

Ammonia is diffused and transported across all plasma membranes. This entails that hyperammonemia leads to an increase in ammonia in all organs and tissues. It is known that the toxic ramifications of ammonia primarily touch the brain and cause neurological impairment. However, the deleterious effects of ammonia are not specific to the brain, as the direct effect of increased ammonia (change in pH, membrane potential, metabolism) can occur in any type of cell. Therefore, in the setting of chronic liver disease where multi-organ dysfunction is common, the role of ammonia, only as neurotoxin, is challenged. This review provides insights and evidence that increased ammonia can disturb many organ and cell types and hence lead to dysfunction.
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Metadata
Title
Ammonia toxicity: from head to toe?
Authors
Srinivasan Dasarathy
Rajeshwar P. Mookerjee
Veronika Rackayova
Vinita Rangroo Thrane
Balasubramaniyan Vairappan
Peter Ott
Christopher F. Rose
Publication date
01-04-2017
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Metabolic Brain Disease / Issue 2/2017
Print ISSN: 0885-7490
Electronic ISSN: 1573-7365
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-016-9938-3

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