Effect of Antibacterial Agents on Ammonia Production within the Intestine.

Abstract

In dogs fed meat the ammonia content of the colonic venous blood was higher (6.96 to 22.02[mu]g/ml) than that of the venous blood from the other portions of the gut or that of the peripheral (vena cava) blood (0.08 to 2.76). Neomycin reduced the ammonia level of the colonic venous blood to less than half that of the control value. Sulfasuxidine or achromycin produced insignificant reduction in the ammonia content of the blood from the gut. Neomycin reduced the total bacterial content of the colon,especially the coli organisms.