Ammonia-induced alterations in the metabolism of glutamate and aspartate in neuronal perikarya and synaptosomes of rat cerebellum.

The effect of subacute and acute doses of ammonium acetate was studied on the production of 14CO2 from 14C-labeled glutamate and aspartate by neuronal perikarya and synaptosomes isolated from rat cerebellum. Studies with inhibitors for aminotransferases (aminooxy acetic acid) and glutamate dehydrogenase (glutamic acid diethyl ester) indicated that transamination reactions play a major role in this process. There was a suppression in this process in hyperammonemic states. Activities of the enzymes, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, glutamate dehydrogenase and glutaminase were decreased in both preparations in hyperammonemic states. Activity of glutamine synthetase was unaltered.