The Mechanism of Action of Lactulose/ 詳細的乳果糖運作機制 Lactulose reduces intestinal ammonia production and absorption in three ways. First, the colonic metabolism of sugars causes a laxative effect via an increase in intraluminal gas formation and osmolality which leads to a reduction in transit time and intraluminal pH. This laxative effect is also beneficial for constipation. Next, lactulose promotes increased uptake of ammonia by colonic bacteria which utilize the trapped colonic ammonia as a nitrogen source for protein synthesis. The reduction of intestinal pH facilitates this process, ...
The Mechanism of Action of Lactulose/ 詳細的乳果糖運作機制 Lactulose reduces intestinal ammonia production and absorption in three ways. First, the colonic metabolism of sugars causes a laxative effect via an increase in intraluminal gas formation and osmolality which leads to a reduction in transit time and intraluminal pH. This laxative effect is also beneficial for constipation. Next, lactulose promotes increased uptake of ammonia by colonic bacteria which utilize the trapped colonic ammonia as a nitrogen source for protein synthesis. The reduction of intestinal pH facilitates this process, which favors the conversion of ammonia (NH3) produced by the gut bacteria, to ammonium (NH4+), an ionized form of the molecule, unable to cross biological membranes. Finally, lactulose also causes a reduction in intestinal production of ammonia. The acidic pH destroys urease-producing bacteria involved in the production of ammonia. The unabsorbed disaccharide also inhibits intestinal glutaminase activity, which blocks the intestinal uptake of glutamine, and its metabolism to ammonia.