Ammonia content of canine blood after oral administration of ammonium salts and ammonia.

VENULET [1934] was the first to observe that NH3 administered orally renders the blood system actually more acid. The researches of Venulet et al. [1936] showed that there was a fall in the alkali reserve of the blood after oral and intravenous administration of NH3. These researches established a hitherto unexpected influence of added NH3 on the chemical composition of the blood in the living subject. Keith & Whelan [1926] administered 100 g. of NH4C1 intravenously to dogs, and after 2 hr. could find no changes in the ammoniacal nitrogen (NH3-N) in the blood. The amount of urea present simultaneously increased considerably. The removal ofthe liver was not followed by any increase in the quantity in the blood. In disagreement with these authors, Sasaki Takema [1936] observed an increase in the blood NH3 of dogs after intravenous injections of NH4Cl. Pugsley & Anderson [1934] reported enhanced diuresis and a higher blood Ca content in rats after the oral administration of 250 mg. of NH4C1. Alwall et al. [1936] noticed that the introduction of NH3 into the stomach of rabbits evokes strong acidification but that introduction into the duodenum has absolutely no influence on the alkali reserve of the blood. As in both experiments marked symptoms of poisoning appeared, there can be no doubt that the NH3 undergoes absorption. The acidifying action of NH3 when introduced into the stomach is explained by the authors thus: the NH3 is neutralized in the stomach and enters the blood in the form of NH4C1. These workers hence confirm the critical remarks of Parnas [1927] with regard to Venulet's paper that the effect of the acidifying action of NH3 orally is really due to the working of the stomach. Lazzaro [1934] reported enhanced blood NH3 in some diseases, such as hepatic cirrhosis, acute yellow atrophy of the liver, asthma, and pulmonary tuberculosis. Galloro [1932] noted an increase in blood NH3 in a state of exhaustion, starvation and after intravenous injections of ovalbumin. Glucose administered orally to the extent of 1 g. per kg. live-weight prevents the increase in blood NH3 caused by fatigue. The object of the present work was to investigate the influence of oral administration of ammonium salts (NH4Cl) and of ammonia on blood NH3 and urea. METHODS