Magnetic Resonance Analysis of the Effects of Acute Ammonia Intoxication on a Rat Brain

Pilar Lopez-Larrubia¹, Omar Cauli², Tiago Brandao Rodrigues¹, Sebastian Cerdan¹, Vicente Felipo²

Acute ammonia intoxication leads to rapid death, which is prevented by blocking NMDA receptors. The aim of this work was to study the effects of acute ammonia intoxication on different cerebral parameters in vivo using magnetic resonance. We analyzed the effects on ADC, T1 and T2 maps in 16 brain areas. We also studied brain metabolites detected by in vivo spectroscopy and whether if these effects are prevented by blocking NMDA receptors. Changes in . N-acetyl-aspartate, T1 and T2 are prevented by blocking NMDA receptors with MK-801 while changes in ADC or myo-inositol (induction of edema) are not.