The Claim
Intravenous lysine infusion in healthy children is associated with increased urinary homocitrulline excretion, indicating impaired ornithine transcarbamylase activity in the urea cycle.
What the research says
Supports is higher
Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.
These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.
When healthy children receive lysine through an IV, their urine contains more homocitrulline, which reflects reduced activity of the ornithine transcarbamylase enzyme in the urea cycle.
See the scientific wording
Intravenous lysine infusion in healthy children is associated with increased urinary homocitrulline, suggesting impaired conversion of ornithine to citrulline by ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) in the urea cycle.
Lysine blocks the entry of ornithine into liver mitochondria and stops the enzyme that turns ornithine into citrulline. This causes ornithine and carbamoyl phosphate to build up. The excess carbamoyl phosphate reacts with lysine instead of ornithine, making homocitrulline, which the body then removes in urine.
What the research says
1 studyStudy: Inhibitory effect of intravenous lysine infusion on urea cycle metabolism
When kids got a special IV drip of lysine, their urine had more homocitrulline, which means one of their liver’s ammonia-cleaning steps got temporarily stuck—just like the claim says.
Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.