The interaction of two forms of glutamic acid with ammonia in sheep

In our experiments, 20 Slovak Merino sheep 36.5 +/- 4.0 kg b.w., aged 3.5 y ears were used. They were starved 12 h before the experiment and for 6 h af ter the initial administrations of the agents. Sheep had free access to wat er throughout the period. Control sheep received in addition to urea (0.5 g /kg b.w.), an equimolar quantity of 15% nonbuffered glutamic acid solution and the experimental sheep received the same quantity of sodium hydroxide b uffered glutamic acid solution. The laboratory indices demonstrated that no nbuffered glutamic acid in contrast to sodium hydroxide buffered glutamic a cid was able to protect sheep from ammonia intoxication induced via p.o. ad ministration of urea (see Tab. I). The experiments demontrated a significan t trend towards higher concentrations of ammonia (P < 0.01) and lower value s of pH (P < 0.01) in the rumen fluid and lower concentrations of ammonia i n the blood (P < 0.01) of sheep with nonbuffered glutamic acid in contrast to sodium hydroxide buffered glutamic acid, especially 60 min and more afte r the administration of agents. We did not however register any significant differences in the dynamics of urea concentrations between both groups of sheep in blood plasma throughout the period of experiments (P < 0.05). Clin ical observations of animals demonstrated that sodium hydroxide buffered gl utamic acid was not able to protect sheep satisfactorily against ammonia in toxication. Sheep in this group showed some intoxication symptoms and one d ied, in contrast to sheep in the control group with nonbuffered glutamic ac id.