Effect of Altered Plasma pCO2 on Intracellular pH during Potassium Deficiency

Abstract

SummaryThe plasma pCO2 of control and dietary K-deficient rats was mechanically altered between 20 and 90 mm Hg. The object was to compare the intracellular pH and HCO3 content of control and low-K skeletal muscle at identical pressures of plasma pCO2. This made it possible to study the intracellular pH and HCO3 changes associated with dietary K depletion without complications due to plasma pCO2 changes. The data indicate that the intracellular acidity of low-K skeletal muscle from dietary depleted rats results mainly from the conditions imposed by the low-K regimen. The results also show that the in vivo buffer capacity of low-K skeletal muscle is significantly less (P<.01) than the buffer capacity of control skeletal muscle.