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Details

Stereochemistry ACHIRAL
Molecular Formula H4N
Molecular Weight 18.0385
Optical Activity NONE
Defined Stereocenters 0 / 0
E/Z Centers 0
Charge 1

SHOW SMILES / InChI
Structure of AMMONIUM CATION

SMILES

[NH4+]

InChI

InChIKey=QGZKDVFQNNGYKY-UHFFFAOYSA-O
InChI=1S/H3N/h1H3/p+1

HIDE SMILES / InChI

Molecular Formula H3N
Molecular Weight 17.0305
Charge 0
Count
Stereochemistry ACHIRAL
Additional Stereochemistry No
Defined Stereocenters 0 / 0
E/Z Centers 0
Optical Activity NONE

The ammonium cation is a positively charged polyatomic ion with the chemical formula NH4+. Ammonium ions are a waste product of the metabolism of animals. In fish and aquatic invertebrates, it is excreted directly into the water. In mammals, sharks, and amphibians, it is converted in the urea cycle to urea, because urea is less toxic and can be stored more efficiently. In birds, reptiles, and terrestrial snails, metabolic ammonium is converted into uric acid, which is solid and can therefore be excreted with minimal water loss. Ammonium is an important source of nitrogen for many plant species, especially those growing on hypoxic soils. However, it is also toxic to most crop species and is rarely applied as a sole nitrogen source. The ammonium ion (NH4+) in the body plays an important role in the maintenance of acid-base balance. The kidney uses ammonium (NH4+) in place of sodium (Na+) to combine with fixed anions in maintaining acid-base balance, especially as a homeostatic compensatory mechanism in metabolic acidosis. When a loss of hydrogen ions (H+) occurs and serum chloride (Cl–) decreases, sodium is made available for combination with bicarbonate (HCO3–). This creates an excess of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) which leads to a rise in blood pH and a state of metabolic alkalosis. The therapeutic effects of Ammonium (as Ammonium Chloride) depend upon the ability of the kidney to utilize ammonia in the excretion of an excess of fixed anions and the conversion of ammonia to urea by the liver, thereby liberating hydrogen (H+) and chloride (Cl–) ions into the extracellular fluid.

Approval Year

Targets

Targets

Primary TargetPharmacologyConditionPotency
2.2 nM [IC50]
Target ID: CHEMBL1947
Sources: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22324546
Conditions

Conditions

ConditionModalityTargetsHighest PhaseProduct
Primary
AMMONIUM CHLORIDE

Approved Use

Unknown

Launch Date

1984
PubMed

PubMed

TitleDatePubMed
A triphosphopyridine nucleotide-specific nitrite reductase from Escherichia coli.
1961 Dec
Effects of glutamate and sulphur containing amino acids on ammonia toxicity and methionine sulphoximine convulsions in mice.
1976 Jun 18
Acute changes of blood ammonia may predict short-term adverse effects of valproic acid.
1984 Nov
Possible mechanisms of anti-cholinergic drug-induced bradycardia.
1988
Determination of ammonia in cerebrospinal fluid using the indophenol direct method.
1998 Jun-Aug
Carnitine deficiency and hyperammonemia in children receiving valproic acid with and without other anticonvulsant drugs.
1999
Control of solitary gastric fundal varices and portosystemic encephalopathy accompanying liver cirrhosis by balloon-occluded retrograde transvenous obliteration (B-RTO): a case report.
1999 Mar-Apr
Inhibition of HIV-1 infection by zinc group metal compounds.
1999 Sep
Rye bread improves bowel function and decreases the concentrations of some compounds that are putative colon cancer risk markers in middle-aged women and men.
2000 Sep
Effects of zinc deficiency/zinc supplementation on ammonia metabolism in patients with decompensated liver cirrhosis.
2001 Dec
Functional identification of ion binding sites at the internal end of the pore in Shaker K+ channels.
2003 May 15
Pharmacokinetic considerations in development of a bioartificial liver.
2004
Phosphorylation of mouse glutamine-fructose-6-phosphate amidotransferase 2 (GFAT2) by cAMP-dependent protein kinase increases the enzyme activity.
2004 Jul 16
Relationship between tumor necrosis factor-alpha and ammonia in patients with hepatic encephalopathy due to chronic liver failure.
2005
Mechanisms of ammonia-induced astrocyte swelling.
2005 Dec
Cerebral ammonia uptake and accumulation during prolonged exercise in humans.
2005 Feb 15
Ammonia metabolism capacity of HepG2 cells with high expression of human glutamine synthetase.
2008 Dec
Collecting duct-specific Rh C glycoprotein deletion alters basal and acidosis-stimulated renal ammonia excretion.
2009 Jun
Ammonia transport in cultured gill epithelium of freshwater rainbow trout: the importance of Rhesus glycoproteins and the presence of an apical Na+/NH4+ exchange complex.
2009 Mar
Ammonia and proinflammatory cytokines modify expression of genes coding for astrocytic proteins implicated in brain edema in acute liver failure.
2010 Mar
Glutamine synthetase in muscle is required for glutamine production during fasting and extrahepatic ammonia detoxification.
2010 Mar 26
Patents

Sample Use Guides

Intraperitoneal: 10 mM per 1 kg body weight Oral: 40 mM per 1 kg body weight
Route of Administration: Other
In Vitro Use Guide
Unknown
Substance Class Chemical
Created
by admin
on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025
Edited
by admin
on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025
Record UNII
54S68520I4
Record Status Validated (UNII)
Record Version
  • Download
Name Type Language
AMMONIUM CATION
Common Name English
AMMONIUM (NH4+)
Preferred Name English
AMMONIUM ION
Common Name English
AMMONIUM
Common Name English
AMMONIUM ION(1+)
Common Name English
AMMONIUM ION (NH4+)
Common Name English
AMMONIUM(1+)
Common Name English
Classification Tree Code System Code
LOINC 1845-7
Created by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025 , Edited by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025
LOINC 1844-0
Created by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025 , Edited by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025
LOINC 14599-5
Created by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025 , Edited by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025
Code System Code Type Description
DAILYMED
54S68520I4
Created by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025 , Edited by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025
PRIMARY
WIKIPEDIA
Ammonium cation
Created by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025 , Edited by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025
PRIMARY
RXCUI
1313310
Created by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025 , Edited by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025
PRIMARY RxNorm
SMS_ID
100000176250
Created by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025 , Edited by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025
PRIMARY
CAS
14798-03-9
Created by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025 , Edited by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025
PRIMARY
EPA CompTox
DTXSID5043974
Created by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025 , Edited by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025
PRIMARY
PUBCHEM
223
Created by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025 , Edited by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025
PRIMARY
CHEBI
28938
Created by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025 , Edited by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025
PRIMARY
FDA UNII
54S68520I4
Created by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025 , Edited by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025
PRIMARY
RXCUI
709
Created by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025 , Edited by admin on Mon Mar 31 18:29:37 GMT 2025
ALTERNATIVE
Related Record Type Details
PARENT -> IMPURITY
EP
PARENT -> IMPURITY
ammonium at 570 nm: not more than the area of the corresponding peak in the chromatogram obtained with reference solution (c) (0.02 per cent), taking into account the peak due to ammonium in the chromatogram obtained with the blank solution.
EP
PARENT -> IMPURITY
EP
Related Record Type Details
ACTIVE MOIETY