Effects of a high protein diet and liver disease in an in silico model of human ammonia metabolism.

ABSTRACT:

Background

After proteolysis, the majority of released amino acids from dietary protein are transported to the liver for gluconeogenesis or to peripheral tissues where they are used for protein synthesis and eventually catabolized, producing ammonia as a byproduct. High ammonia levels in the brain are a major contributor to the decreased neural function that occurs in several pathological conditions such as hepatic encephalopathy when liver urea cycle function is compromised. Therefore, it is important to gain a deeper understanding of human ammonia metabolism. The objective of this study was to predict changes in blood ammonia levels resulting from alterations in dietary protein intake, from liver disease, or from partial loss of urea cycle function.

Methods

A simple mathem

SUBMITTER: Griffin JWD 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6670211 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature