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Acute ammonia toxicity is mediated by the NMDA type of glutamate receptors
Author(s) -
Marcaida Goizane,
Felipo Vicente,
Hermenegildo Carlos,
Miñana Maria-Dolores,
Grisolia Santiago
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/0014-5793(92)80404-5
Subject(s) - nmda receptor , glutamate receptor , toxicity , receptor , ammonium , ammonia , chemistry , pharmacology , antagonist , ammonium acetate , receptor antagonist , dizocilpine , biochemistry , biology , chromatography , high performance liquid chromatography , organic chemistry
Previous experiments in our laboratory suggested that ammonium toxicity could be mediated by the NMDA type of glutamate receptors. To assess this hypothesis we tested if MK‐801, a specific antagonist of the NMDA receptor, is able to prevent ammonium toxicity. Mice and rats were injected i.p. with 12 and 7 mmol/kg of ammonium acetate, respectively, 73% of the mice and 70% of the rats died. However, when the animals were injected i.p. with 2 mg/kg of MK‐801, 15 min before ammonium injection, only 5% of the mice and 15% of the rats died. The remarkable protection afforded by MK‐801 indicates that ammonia toxicity is mediated by the NMDA receptor.