Effects of ammonia infusion on plasma glucagon, insulin, and amino acids in intact, pancreatectomized, and adrenalectomized dogs.

Ammonium salts were infused in intact, pancreatectomized, and adrenalectomized dogs to produce coma-inducing amounts of plasma ammonia. Changes in intact dogs included hyperglycemia, hyperglucagonemia, hyperinsulinemia, and decreases in plasma concentrations of glutamine, alanine, threonine, glycine, lysine, valine, proline, serine, arginine, leucine, isoleucine, and methionine. Urinary excretion of catecholamines increased more than 20-fold, whereas plasma hydrocortisone concentrations were essentially unchanged. In pancreatectomized dogs, ammonia infusions caused hyperglycemia, a mild hyperglucagonemia, and no changes in plasma amino acid concentrations, other than a decrease in alanine and an increase in taurine. In adrenalectomized dogs, ammonia infusion resulted in normoglycemia, hyperglucagonemia (comparable with that seen in intact dogs), hyperinsulinemia (2 to 3 times that seen in intact dogs), and decreased plasma concentrations of alanine, isoleucine, leucine, and valine. Finally, propranolol administration did not affect ammonia-induced glucagon and insulin release. The endocrine portion of the pancreas appears to mediate the major effects of ammonia on plasma amino acid values. The effect of ammonia in stimulating glucagon release may occur by an alpha-adrenergic pathway or by direct stimulation of pancreatic islet cells.