LYCOS RETRIEVER 
Lactulose: Ammonia
built 606 days ago
Lactulose is a medication that is used as a stool softener to treat constipation. It is used commonly in cats with megacolon. It may ... be used in the treatment of liver disease in small pets and birds to help reduce ammonia that can build up in the blood due to liver disease. Contact your veterinarian if your pet experiences diarrhea, increased gas, distention of the stomach (animal appears bloated), or stomach cramping while being treated with lactulose. To prevent dehydration, make sure your pet has plenty of clean water to drink while being treated with lactulose.
Source:
Lactulose inhibits bacterial ammonia production by acidifying the content of the bowel. It promotes growth of colonic flora. The growing biomass uses ammonia and nitrogen from amino acids to synthesise bacterial protein, which in turn inhibits protein degradation to NH3. Lactulose leads to less ammonia by inhibiting bacterial urea degradation and reduces colonic transit time... reducing the time available for ammonia production and expediting ammonia elimination.
Source:
Lactulose reduces the presence of ammonia in the intestine by, on the one hand, the conversion of NH3 to NH4+ which low pH values promote, and, on the other hand, by suppressing ammonia-forming bacteria through bifidobacteria or lactobacillus. The fact that ammonia has a toxic effect on the brain explains the effect of lactulose as a therapeutic agent in cases of hepatic encephalopathy.
Source:
Lactulose is ... used in higher doses to help reduce a complication associated with liver disease called hepatic encephalopathy. In this condition, there is a build up of a chemical called ammonia in the blood, as the liver is not able to convert it into a safe chemical. This leads to adverse effects on the brain. By acidifying the contents of the gut, lactulose reduces the absorption of ammonia from the gut, therefore preventing the adverse effects experienced by people with liver disease.
Source:
Lactulose is used in the treatment of constipation and hepatic encephalopathy. The efficacy of lactulose in these conditions is based on its fermentation in the colon by certain bacteria and the increase of the biomass of these bacteria in the colon. The products of fermentation are mainly organic acids, such as lactic acid and small-chain fatty acids, which, by exerting a local osmotic effect in the colon, result in increased fecal bulk and stimulation of peristalsis. The higher doses used for hepatic encephalopathy lower the colonic pH, and ammonia, in the form of ammonium ions, is used by the bacteria for amino acid and protein synthesis. This lowers the serum ammonia levels and improves mental function.
Source:
Lactulose pulls water into the large intestines causing distention. This stimulates the normal forward movement of the intestines (peristalsis), resulting in a bowel movement within 24 to 48 hours. It is ... used to lower blood ammonia levels in liver failure.
Source:
MORE ABOUT
Ammonia