Effects of ammonia on synaptosomal membranes

Ammonia and manganese increase arginine uptake in cultured astrocytes

Recent work has suggested a possible role for nitric oxide (NO) in the development of hepatic encephalopathy (HE). In this study, we examined the effect of ammonia and manganese, factors implicated in the pathogenesis of HE, on the transport of arginine (a precursor of NO) into primary cultures of astrocytes. Treatment with 5 mM ammonia for 1-4 days produced a maximal (53%) increase in L-arginine uptake at 3 days when compared to untreated cells. Kinetic analysis following 4-day treatment with 5 mM ammonia revealed an 82% increase in the Vmax and a 61% increase in the Km value. Similar analysis with 100 microM manganese showed a 101% increase in Vmax and a 131% increase in the Km value. These results suggest that both manganese and ammonia alter L-arginine uptake by modifying the transporter for arginine. A decrease of 32% in the non-saturable component of L-arginine transport was also observed following treatment with ammonia. When cultures were treated separately with 5 mM ammonia and 100 microM manganese for 2 days, the uptake of L-arginine increased by 41% and 57%, respectively. Combined exposure led to no further increase in uptake. Our results suggest that ammonia and manganese may contribute to the pathogenesis of HE by influencing arginine transport and thus possibly NO synthesis in astrocytes.

Contrasting effects of thioacetamide-induced liver damage on the brain uptake indices of ornithine, arginine and lysine: modulation by treatment with ornithine aspartate

The dibasic amino acids arginine (ARG), ornithine (ORN) and lysine (LYS) are transported by a common saturable transporter (system gamma +) at the blood-brain barrier (BBB). In the present study we compared the brain uptake index (BUI) for radiolabelled ORN, ARG and LYS in control rats and in rats treated with thioacetamide (TAA) to induce hepatic encephalopathy (HE). Some animals received i.v. ornithine aspartate (OA), a drug structurally related to the gamma + substrates that ameliorates neurological symptoms following liver damage by improving detoxification of ammonia in peripheral tissues: the compound was administered either by continuous infusion for 6h at a concentration of 2 g/kg (final blood concentration ranging from 0.19-0.5 mM), or as a 15 sec. bolus together with the radiolabelled amino acids, at a concentration of 0.35 mM. TAA treatment resulted in a delayed and progressive increase of BUI for ORN, to 186% of control at 7d post-treatment and to 345% of control at 21d post-treatment, when despite sustained liver damage, HE symptoms were already absent. In contrast, the BUI for ARG decreased to 30% of control at 7d post-treatment and remained low (42% of control) at 21d post-treatment. A 6h infusion of OA to untreated rats resulted in a reduction of the BUI for ARG and ORN to 51% and 62% of the control levels, respectively. Reductions of a similar magnitude were noted with both amino acids following the 15 sec OA bolus, indicating direct interaction of OA with the transport site in both cases. OA administered by either route abolished the enhancement of BUI for ORN, but did not further inhibit the BUI for ARG in the TAA-treated animals. The results indicate that some as yet unspecified factors released from damaged liver either modify the structure or conformation of the gamma + transporter at the BBB from the normally ARG-preferring to the ORN-preferring state, or activate (induce) a different transporter specific for ORN which is normally latent.

Ammonia-induced alterations in the activities of synaptosomal cholinesterases of rat brain under in vitro and in vivo conditions

Effects of in vivo and in vitro pathophysiological concentrations of ammonium acetate were studied on the activities of acetyl and pseudocholinesterases in the synaptosomes isolated from cerebral cortex, cerebellum and brain stem of rat brain. Administration of subacute and acute doses of ammonium acetate elevated the activities of both the cholinesterases in synaptosomes of all the above three regions. A linear relationship (r = 0.98) was observed between brain-ammonia levels and magnitude of elevation in the activities of cerebral cholinesterases. Kinetic analysis revealed that this elevation was due to a change in the Vm but not in the Km of the enzymes. Incubation of synaptosomes isolated from normal animals with 1, 5 and 10 mM ammonium acetate marginally elevated the activities of these enzymes and had no effects on purified enzyme. It is suggested that the changes in the activities might be due to altered architecture of the membranes which exposes more number of catalytic sites.

Ammonia-induced alterations in glutamate and muscimol binding to cerebellar synaptic membranes

Binding of glutamate and muscimol (an agonist for GABAA receptors) to their respective receptors has been studied in the cerebellum of normal and hyperammonemic rats. There was a decrease in both high- and low-affinity binding of glutamate in the cerebellum during hyperammonemia. Kinetic studies revealed that the decrease is due to a reduction in the number of binding sites, but not due to changes in the binding affinities. Further studies also revealed that the decrease was only in the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA)-specific binding sites without any alterations in the binding to non-NMDA sites represented by kianic acid (KA)- and quisqualic acid (QQ)-sensitive receptor sites. These effects were also mimicked when the membrane preparations from the cerebellum of normal animals were incubated with ammonium acetate. Enhancement of muscimol binding was observed in animals injected with ammonium acetate. It is concluded that hyperammonemic states, even in the presence of a functional liver, are capable of altering amino acid neurotransmission and this might play an important role in cerebral dysfunction under these conditions.

Hyperammonemic alterations in the uptake and release of glutamate and aspartate by rat cerebellar preparations

Release and uptake of neurotransmitter amino acids, glutamate and aspartate, were studied in the synaptosomes, astrocytes and in the perikarya of granule neurons isolated from the cerebella of normal and hyperammonemic rats. During acute hyperammonemia, depolarization-induced release of both the amino acids from the synaptosomes was elevated. The Vmax values of high-affinity uptake systems were elevated without alterations in the Km values for these two amino acids during acute hyperammonemic states. In the case of the low-affinity uptake system of these two amino acids, there was a decrease in the Km values without alterations in the Vmax values. These results are discussed in relation to the mechanism of ammonia toxicity.

Activities of pyruvate dehydrogenase, enzymes of citric acid cycle, and aminotransferases in the subcellular fractions of cerebral cortex in normal and hyperammonemic rats

Activity levels of pyruvate dehydrogenase, enzymes of citric acid cycle, aspartate and alanine aminotransferases were estimated in mitochondria, synaptosomes and cytosol isolated from brains of normal rats and those injected with acute and subacute doses of ammonium acetate. In mitochondria isolated from animals treated with acute dose of ammonium acetate, there was an elevation in the activities of pyruvate, isocitrate and succinate dehydrogenases while the activities of malate dehydrogenase (malate----oxaloacetate), aspartate and alanine aminotransferases were suppressed. In subacute conditions a similar profile of change was noticed excepting that there was an elevation in the activity of alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase in mitochondria. In the synaptosomes isolated from animals administered with acute dose of ammonium acetate, there was an increase in the activities of pyruvate, isocitrate, alpha-ketoglutarate and succinate dehydrogenases while the changes in the activities of malate dehydrogenase, aspartate and alanine amino transferases were suppressed. In the subacute toxicity similar changes were observed in this fraction except that the activity of malate dehydrogenase (oxaloacetate----malate) was enhanced. In the cytosol, pyruvate dehydrogenase and other enzymes of citric acid cycle except malate dehydrogenase were enhanced in both acute and subacute ammonia toxicity though their activities are lesser than that of mitochondria. In this fraction malate dehydrogenase (oxaloacetate----malate) was enhanced while activities of malate dehydrogenase (malate----oxaloacetate), aspartate and alanine aminotransferases were suppressed in both the conditions. Based on these results it is concluded that the decreased activities of malate dehydrogenase (malate----oxaloacetate) in mitochondria and of aspartate aminotransferase in mitochondria and cytosol may be responsible for the disruption of malate-aspartate shuttle in hyperammonemic state.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Hyperammonemia causes altered protein phosphorylation in astrocytes

Treatment of primary astrocyte cultures with ammonium chloride for one day prior to phosphoprotein labeling resulted in a reduction in phosphate incorporation in a 66-kDa protein. Increasing ammonium chloride concentrations (2, 5, and 10 mM) led to greater reductions in phosphate incorporation in this band. The specificity of the effect was indicated by the lack of change in phosphate incorporation in 7 other protein bands. These results indicate that protein phosphorylation can be affected by pathophysiological concentrations of ammonia and suggest that altered protein phosphorylation may be related to the pathogenesis of disorders such as hepatic encephalopathy and Reye's syndrome where ammonia has been implicated as an important etiological factor.

Effects of prolonged exposure to ammonia on fluid-phase, receptor-mediated, and adsorptive (non specific) endocytosis in cultured neuroblastoma cells. A flow-cytometry and cytochemical study

The effect of prolonged exposure to ammonia on fluid-phase, receptor-mediated, and adsorptive (non specific) endocytosis in cultured neuroblastoma (Neuro-2a) cells were studied using fluorescein-labeled dextran, concanavalin A conjugated with fluorescein isothiocyanate, and cationized ferritin as tracers. Ammonia treatment increased the rate of endocytosis of cationized ferritin as well as the number of cell elements involved in the process. Moreover, the number of cytoplasmic components containing acid phosphatase activity was also found to increase following ammonia treatment. In contrast, flow-cytometric analyses showed that, under experimental conditions, exposure to ammonia did not alter the intralysosomal pH and had little effect on the fluid-phase and receptor-mediated endocytosis of fluorescein-labeled dextran and concanavalin-A fluorocrome, respectively.

Ammonium chloride-induced alterations in growth kinetics and ultrastructure of murine neuroblastoma cells. A flow cytometric and stereologic study

Neuro-2a and L-132 cells have been used as a model in the study of ammonia toxicity. Incubation of neuro-2a cells for 48 h in the presence of 2 mM NH4Cl caused inhibition of their growth and accumulation of cells in the G2M phase of the cell cycle as demonstrated by fluorocytometric methods. Mitotic figures were absent in the treated cell preparations. On the other hand, ammonia had no effect on L-132 cells treated in the same way. Electron microscopy of neuro-2a cells incubated with 2 mM NH4Cl for 5 days showed striking qualitative and quantitative ultrastructural changes compared with control cells. Treated cells doubled in absolute volume and showed marked alterations in the shape and organization of mitochondria. The absolute volume of mitochondria was also increased which, together with a decrease in their total number, suggests that ammonia induces fusion between adjacent mitochondria. Increases in the total number of lysosomes, multivesicular bodies and lipid droplets were also found in treated cells.

Effects of urease-induced hyperammonemia in mouse liver. Ultrastructural, stereologic and biochemical study

Intraperitoneal injections of urease induced a marked and sustained hyperammonemia in mice. Ultrastructural and stereologic analysis of hepatocytes from urease-treated mice showed striking changes in the mitochondria, rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum and lysosomes. Thus, mitochondria became larger and rounder, and contained a less electron-dense matrix although their volume density remained similar to that of control cells. In addition, increases in the smooth and rough reticulum and the lysosomal compartment, were observed. Biochemical analysis of the livers from urease-treated mice revealed a significant increase in the intracellular content of water and lipids. Although the mechanism by which ammonia induces these changes remains unclear, the possible relationship between these findings and those described in the liver of humans and experimental animals in conditions of sustained hyperammonemia is discussed.