Intracellular hydrogen ion concentration changes during acute respiratory acidosis and alkalosis

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The intracellular [H+] of fully oxygenated and reduced erythrocytes have beenmeasured in vitro after a thirty-minute period of equilibration with different pCO2 tensions. The intracellular [H+] was a linear function of the extracellular fluid [H+] over a range of 19.7 to 170.0 nanoeq. per liter. During clinical conditions of acute respiratory acidosis and alkalosis, the intracellular [H+] followed the extracellular [H+] closely, with little change in the [H+] differences across the red cell. The significance of the [H+] difference across the red cell in the interpretation of the oxygen dissociation curve is discussed. The intracellular [H+] of fully oxygenated and reduced erythrocytes have beenmeasured in vitro after a thirty-minute period of equilibration with different pCO2 tensions. The intracellular [H+] was a linear function of the extracellular fluid [H+] over a range of 19.7 to 170.0 nanoeq. per liter. During clinical conditions of acute respiratory acidosis and alkalosis, the intracellular [H+] followed the extracellular [H+] closely, with little change in the [H+] differences across the red cell. The significance of the [H+] difference across the red cell in the interpretation of the oxygen dissociation curve is discussed.