Fixed-time kinetic assay of plasma ammonia, with NADPH as cofactor, with a centrifugal analyzer

We describe a fixed-time, enzymatic, reaction-rate procedure for determining plasma ammonia with a centrifugal analyzer (Rotochem IIA/36; American Instrument Co., silver Spring, MD 20910), with NADPH as cofactor. The reaction is based on that of da Fonseca-Wollheim's modification [J. Clin. Chem. Clin. Biochem. 11, 421 (1973)] of the Kirstein reaction, which depends on the catalytic amination of alpha-ketoglutarate by the action of glutamate dehydrogenase with NADPH as the cofactor instead of NADH. Use of NADPH minimizes interference from endogenous reactions such as that between lactate dehydrogenase and pyruvate. This method permits shortened preincubation time and thus improves both specificity and precision. This assay requires 100 microliter of freshly collected heparinized plasma, gives quantitative analytical recovery, and the standard curve is linear to 430 mumol/L. Data are presented comparing results with those by two other enzymatic ammonia procedures.