Urea Cycle Disorders

Authors

  • Tachsinee Kanchanaalongkorn Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University

Keywords:

urea cycle disorders, hyperammonemia, sodium benzoate, arginine

Abstract

Urea Cycle Disorders (UCDs) are metabolic genetic disorders with an estimated incidence of 1:35,000 in the United States newborn population. Fifty percent of neonatal UCDs develop hyperammonemia, with a mortality rate of 25 to 50 percent, followed by severe neurological symptoms in survivors if not treated promptly. UCDs are caused by abnormalities in one of the six enzymes or two transport proteins involved in the urea cycle, preventing the body from converting ammonia into urea to be normally excreted through the kidneys, which causes toxicity from hyperammonemia to various endogenous systems within the body. In the treatment of UCDs, patients should limit their intake of proteins that break down into ammonia and choose to consume only high-quality protein together with medication. Medications are divided into two groups based on their mechanism of action: 1. Nitrogen scavengers: sodium benzoate, sodium phenylbutyrate, sodium phenylacetate and glycerol phenylbutyrate 2. Deficient metabolites: L-arginine, L-citrulline, and carbamylglutamate. The aim of these drug treatments is to regulate the metabolism that affects normal growth or development and to prevent future complications.

Author Biography

Tachsinee Kanchanaalongkorn, Pharmacy Department, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University

Pharm.D.

References

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Published

2022-04-28

How to Cite

1.
Kanchanaalongkorn T. Urea Cycle Disorders. Thai J Hosp Pharm [internet]. 2022 Apr. 28 [cited 2026 Jan. 9];32(1):87-102. available from: https://he02.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/TJHP/article/view/252357

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Section

Continuing Pharmaceutical Education