A Vicious Cycle

The Metabolic Disruptor:

Ammonia acts as a metabolic disruptor that mimics hypoxia. It forces cells that have oxygen to act as if they don't.

By blocking the mitochondria, ammonia forces the cell to rely on glycolysis and produce lactate. This effectively turns a "Normoxic" cell into a "Hypoxic-like" cell, driving cancer pathology and lactate accumulation.

The result is a tumor where hypoxic and normoxic cells aggressively consume glucose and pump out acid.

The Vicious Cycle of Aggressiveness

1. Ammonia Accumulates: Often a byproduct of cancer's own glutamine metabolism.
2. Mitochondria Fail: The mechanism blocks oxidative phosphorylation (see diagram).
3. Lactate Recycling Stops: The "Normoxic" pathway fails, preventing acid clearance (see diagram, image 1).
4. Acidity Spikes: Massive lactate efflux floods the Extracellular Matrix (ECM).
5. Tumor Evolves: Acid promotes growth and invasion, while ROS promotes mutation.

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