Abstract
The effect of ammonia on water space of astrocytes in culture was determined as a means of studying the neurotoxicity of ammonia in fulminant hepatic failure (FHF). Treatment of primary astrocyte cultures obtained from neonatal rat cortices with 10 mM NH4Cl for 4 days resulted in a 29% increase in astrocytic water space, as measured by an isotopic method utilizing 3-O-methyl-[3H]-glucose. this effect was time- and dose-dependent. The ammonia-induced swelling was reversible as the water space in cultures treated with 10 mH NH4Cl for 3 days, and then returned to normal culture media for 1 day, was similar to control cultures. These findings suggest that elevated levels of ammonia lead to astrocyte swelling and may contribute to the brain edema in FHF.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 833-836 |
Number of pages | 4 |
Journal | Neurochemical Research |
Volume | 16 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Jul 1 1991 |
Keywords
- Ammonia
- brain edema
- hepatic encephalopathy
- hepatic failure
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Neuroscience(all)
- Biochemistry