Hyperammonemia

Hyperammonemia, or high ammonia levels, is a metabolic disturbance characterised by an excess of ammonia in the blood. Severe hyperammonemia is a dangerous condition that may lead to brain injury and death, and it may be primary or secondary. Ammonia is a nitrogen-containing substance produced by the catabolism of protein. The body converts it to the less toxic substance urea before excretion in urine by the kidneys, and the metabolic pathways that synthesize urea start in the mitochondria and then move into the cytosol. This process is known as the urea cycle, which comprises several enzymes acting in sequence. The source adds that the problem is greatly exacerbated by common zinc deficiency, which raises ammonia levels further.