Ammonia intoxication: a hazard during rehabilitation of protein-deprived rats

The ammonia tolerance of weanling rats raised for 3 to 6 weeks on a protein-deficient diet was compared with that of a group of age-matched control animals raised from weaning on an optimal protein diet. The groups were challenged with a nitrogen load of either ammonium chloride or amino acids. The results of the loading studies indicate that severe protein deprivation increases vulnerability to ammonia poisoning. These observations suggest that ammonia-induced coma may pose a significant hazard during the initial intravenous rehabilitation of malnourished subjects, if replenishment is undertaken too vigorously.