Document Detail


Ammonia as a respiratory gas in water and air-breathing fishes.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  16731054     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Ammonia is produced in the liver and excreted as NH(3) by diffusion across the gills. Elevated ammonia results in an increase in gill ventilation, perhaps via stimulation of gill oxygen chemo-receptors. Acidification of the water around the fish by carbon dioxide and acid excretion enhances ammonia excretion and constitutes "environmental ammonia detoxification". Fish have difficulties in excreting ammonia in alkaline water or high concentrations of environmental ammonia, or when out of water. The mudskipper, Periphthalmodon schlosseri, is capable of active NH(4)(+) transport, maintaining low internal levels of ammonia. To prevent a back flux of NH(3), these air-breathing fish can increase gill acid excretion and reduce the membrane NH(3) permeability by modifying the phospholipid and cholesterol compositions of their skin. Several air-breathing fish species can excrete ammonia into air through NH(3) volatilization. Some fish detoxify ammonia to glutamine or urea. The brains of some fish can tolerate much higher levels of ammonia than other animals. Studies of these fish may offer insights into the nature of ammonia toxicity in general.
Authors:
David J Randall; Yuen K Ip
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Review     Date:  2006-04-25
Journal Detail:
Title:  Respiratory physiology & neurobiology     Volume:  154     ISSN:  1569-9048     ISO Abbreviation:  Respir Physiol Neurobiol     Publication Date:  2006 Nov 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2006-11-06     Completed Date:  2007-02-20     Revised Date:  2008-11-21    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101140022     Medline TA:  Respir Physiol Neurobiol     Country:  Netherlands    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  216-25     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Biology and Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong, Tat Chee Avenue, Hong Kong, China. BHRAND@cityu.edu.hk
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Adaptation, Physiological
Air*
Ammonia / metabolism*
Animals
Fishes / physiology*
Gills / physiology
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Ion Transport / physiology
Respiration*
Respiratory Physiological Phenomena*
Water
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
7664-41-7/Ammonia; 7732-18-5/Water

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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