277 Effect of acute heroin on basal and electrical vagal stimulation acid and pepsin secretion in rat

Abstract

We have reported that rats given 10–20 mmol/kg of propionate develop hyperammomemia in response to amino acid loads. Ethanol in doses of 0.1–5 mmoles/kg attenuates or prevents this hyperammonemia. Liver ATP, glutamate and aspartate levels are unaffected, but the fall in acetyl CoA and secondarily in N-acetylglutamate caused by propionate alone is much reduced. As a result of this effect, mitochondrial carbamoyl phosphate synthetase activity is restored nearly to normal. Thus low-dose ethanol combats this form of hyperammonemia by augmenting hepatic acetyl CoA.