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THE EFFECT IN HUMANS OF EXTRACELLULAR pH CHANGE ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SERUM POTASSIUM CONCENTRATION AND INTRACELLULAR POTASSIUM 1

1956; American Society for Clinical Investigation; Volume: 35; Issue: 9 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1172/jci103352

1558-8238

James M. Burnell, M. F. Villamil, Ben T. Uyeno, Belding H. Scribner,

Microbial Metabolites in Food Biotechnology

For many years investigators have been aware of the association of hyperkalemia with acidosis and hypokalemia with alkalosis.The early in vitro work of Fenn and Cobb (1) suggested that there might be a cause and effect relationship.However, it was not until recently that satisfac- tory in vivo data were obtained (2-7) which per- mitted the formulation of the hypothesis that changes in extracellular pH altered the extracel- lular potassium concentration independently of changes in total body potassium 3 (7).Thus, in animals, acidosis increases and alkalosis decreases the serum potassium concentration independently of changes in total body potassium.The present study demonstrates similar interrelationships in humans. EXPERIMENTAL PLAN AND METHODSFive patients were selected for study because of al- terations of extracellular pH of either metabolic or re- spiratory origin.During the nine periods of study (five in the same patient) an attempt was made to change ex- tracellular pH rapidly and observe the effect of this change on the serum potassium concentration.Extra- cellular pH was changed by appropriate therapy which included infusions of isotonic mixtures of NaCl, HCl, NH4C1, NaHCO, and sodium lactate.In one patient eight per cent CO2 inhalation was used in combination with HCl infusion.In order to control the effect of changes in total body potassium on the serum potassium concentration experimental periods were short and an at- tempt was made to change potassium balance only slightly