Ammonia is an important source of nitrogen for living systems. It is produced from dietary and amino acid metabolism and is toxic to the Central Nervous System (CNS) at high concentrations. Ammonia is taken up by the liver and converted to urea through the urea cycle. Blood ammonia measurement has been used in the diagnosis of comas associated with hepatic dysfunction caused by cirrhosis and neoplasms. This colorimetric assay is based on the oxidization of NADPH to NADP in the presence of α-ketoglutaric acid and glutamate dehydrogenase. The ammonia level is determined by assaying the rate of NADPH oxidation, which is proportional to the reduction in absorbance at 340 nm over time.
Product Use
The Ammonia Assay kit measures the ammonia level of different types of samples, such as plasma, tissues and cell lysate. This product is for research purposes only and not for use in animals, humans, or diagnostic procedures.