Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-10T15:19:02.408Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Liver nitrogen movements during short-term infusion of high levels of ammonia into the mesenteric vein of sheep

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

G. D. Milano*
Affiliation:
Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional del Centro, Campus Universitario (7000) Tandil, Argentina
G. E. Lobley
Affiliation:
Rowett Research Institute, Rowett Research Institute, Greenburn Road, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9SB, Scotland, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Guillermo D. Milano, fax +54 2293 422667, email gmilano@vet.unicen.edu.ar
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Sources of viscous soluble fibre, such as barley and oats, have often been included in the weaning diet of the pig to accelerate development of the large intestine. Inclusion of a non-fermentable, viscous compound, sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), in a low-fibre weaning diet was tested to assess the influence of digesta viscosity on the gut in the absence of increased fermentation. Two CMC sources, of low and high viscosity, were added to cooked rice-based diet at 40 g/kg total diet. A third control rice diet did not contain any CMC. Diets were fed for 13 d following weaning at 3 weeks of age. Addition of CMC to the diet significantly increased the intestinal viscosity of digesta within the small (P<0·001) and large (P<0·05) intestine. No simple association was found between increases in intestinal viscosity and effects on intestinal morphology and whole-body growth. The average empty-body-weight gain and the small intestinal villus height increased with low-viscosity CMC, but decreased with the high-viscosity CMC group. The full large intestinal weight increased in all pigs fed CMC. Dietary CMC (both low- and high-viscosity) increased the percentage moisture of digesta and faeces, and was associated with increased faecal shedding of enterotoxigenic haemolytic Escherichia coli. Feed ingredients in weaning diets that excessively increase the viscosity of the intestinal digesta may be detrimental to pig health and production.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2001

References

Barej, W, Ostaszewski, P & Pierzynowski, G (1987) Urea and glucose formation in ovine liver after ammonia and lactate loading in vivo. Annales de Recherches Veterinaires 18, 2934.Google ScholarPubMed
Brosnan, JT, Brosnan, ME, Charron, R & Nissim, I (1996) A mass isotopomer study of urea and glutamine synthesis from 15N-labelled ammonia in the perfused rat liver. Journal of Biological Chemistry 271, 1619916207.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Demigné, C, Yacoub, C, Morand, C & Rémésy, C (1991) Interactions between propionate and amino acid metabolism in isolated sheep hepatocytes. British Journal of Nutrition 65, 301317.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Geissler, A, Kanamori, K & Ross, BD (1992) Real-time study of urea cycle using 15N n.m.r. in the isolated perfused liver. Biochemical Journal 287, 813820.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Häussinger, D, Lamers, WH & Moorman, AFM (1992) Hepatocyte heterogeneity in the metabolism of amino acids and ammonia. Enzyme 46, 7293.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leweling, H, Breitkreutz, R, Behne, F, Staedt, U & Striebel, JP (1996) Hyperammonaemia-induced depletion of glutamate and branched-chain amino-acids in muscle and plasma. Journal of Hepatology 25, 756762.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lobley, GE, Connell, A, Lomax, MA, Brown, DS, Milne, E, Calder, AG & Farningham, DAH (1995) Hepatic detoxification of ammonia in the ovine liver: possible consequences for amino acid catabolism. British Journal of Nutrition 73, 667685.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lobley, GE, Weijs, PJM, Connell, A, Calder, AG, Brown, DS & Milne, E (1996) The fate of absorbed and exogenous ammonia as influenced by forage or forage-concentrate diets in growing sheep. British Journal of Nutrition 76, 231248.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lomax, MA, Maltby, SA, Buss, DS & Lobley, GE (1995) Regulation of ammonia and amino acid metabolism in isolated sheep hepatocytes. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 55, 39A.Google Scholar
Lund, P & Wiggins, D (1986) The ornithine requirement of urea synthesis. Formation of ornithine from glutamine in hepatocytes. Biochemical Journal 239, 773776.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Luo, QJ, Maltby, SA, Lobley, GE, Calder, AG & Lomax, MA (1995) The effect of amino acids on the metabolic fate of 15NH4Cl in isolated sheep hepatocytes. European Journal of Biochemistry 228, 912917.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meijer, AJ, Lamers, WH & Chalumeau, RAFN (1990) Nitrogen metabolism and ornithine cycle function. Physiological Reviews 70, 701748.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Milano, GD, Hotston-Moore, A & Lobley, GE (2000) Influence of hepatic NH3 removal on ureagenesis, amino acid utilisation and energy metabolism in the ovine liver. British Journal of Nutrition 83, 307315.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Milano, GD, Lomax, MA & Lobley, GE (1995) Estimation of the enrichment of urea N precursors. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 55, 42A.Google Scholar
Mondzac, A, Erlich, GE & Seegmiller, JE (1965) An enzymatic determination of ammonia in biological fluids. Journal of Laboratory and Clinical Medicine 66, 526531.Google ScholarPubMed
Nieto, R, Calder, AG, Anderson, SE & Lobley, GE (1996) Method for the determination of 15NH3 enrichment in biological samples by Gas Chromatography/Electron Impact Ionization Mass Spectrometry. Journal of Mass Spectrometry 31, 289294.3.0.CO;2-Z>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nissim, I, Cattano, C, Nissim, I & Yudkoff, M (1992) Relative role of the glutaminase, glutamate dehydrogenase, and AMP-deaminase pathways in hepatic ureagenesis: Studies with 15N. Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics 292, 393401.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Orzechowsky, A, Pierzynowski, S, Motyl, T & Barej, W (1988) Net hepatic metabolism of ammonia, propionate and lactate in sheep in relation to gluconeogenesis and ureagenesis. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 59, 113122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Parker, DS, Lomax, MA, Seal, CJ & Wilton, JC (1995) Metabolic implications of ammonia production in the ruminant. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 54, 549563.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reaich, D, Channon, SM, Scrimgeour, CM & Goodship, THJ (1992) Ammonium chloride-induced acidosis increases protein breakdown and amino acid oxidation in humans. American Journal of Physiology 263, E735E739.Google ScholarPubMed
Reynolds, CK (1992) Metabolism of nitrogenous compounds by the ruminant liver. Journal of Nutrition 122, 850854.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rossouw, HC, Nell, MJ, Mohamed Ali, A & van der Walt, JG (1999) Ammonia partitioning between urea and glutamine in the perfused sheep liver: role of extracellular pH. South African Journal of Animal Science 29, 246247.Google Scholar
Stryer, L (1988) Biochemistry, New York, NY: W.H. Freeman & Company.Google Scholar
Symonds, HW, Mather, DL & Collis, KA (1981) The maximum capacity of the liver of the adult dairy cow to metabolize ammonia. British Journal of Nutrition 46, 481486.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wilton, JC, Gill, M & Lomax, MA (1988) Uptake of ammonia across the liver of forage-fed cattle. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 47, 153A.Google Scholar