The Sound of Evolution
Ammonium chloride
Mechanism of action:
Ammonium chloride is an acidifying agent and an expectorant. In the liver, ammonium chloride is metabolized into urea while generating hydrogen ions (H⁺). These hydrogen ions combine with bicarbonate (HCO₃⁻) in the blood to form carbonic acid (H₂CO₃), which is then converted into CO₂ and H₂O for excretion. This lowers blood pH and subsequently acidifies the urine. In addition, ammonium chloride can stimulate the gastric mucosa and trigger vagal reflexes, promoting the secretion of thinner mucus by the bronchial glands.
Reference(s):
Hart PD and Young MR. (1991). Ammonium chloride, an inhibitor of phagosome-lysosome fusion in macrophages, concurrently induces phagosome-endosome fusion, and opens a novel pathway: studies of a pathogenic mycobacterium and a nonpathogenic yeast. J Exp Med.