Carbamyl glutamate injected into normal rats produced no change in blood urea levels. Rats fed a high-protein dict or starved for 48 h had increased blood urea. Carbamyl glutamate injection induced a further increase in the levels of urea in their blood. Also, carbamyl glutamate administered in the drinking water of normal mice produced an increase in blood urea, which was accompanied by a decrease in blood ammonia. The application of these findings to the treatment of urea cycle enzymopathies is discussed.
Key words Carbamyl glutamate - Urea cycle disorders - Hyperammonaemia