Net acid excretion capacity is related to blood hydrogen ion and serum carbon dioxide

Abstract

Acid-base imbalance due to dietary food patterns has emerged as one of the hypotheses leading to modern-day diseases. This study examined if a new method to assess the renal ability to excrete an acid load, that is, the net acid excretion capacity (NAEC), constructed from net acid excretion (NAE) and urine pH, relates to blood hydrogen ion concentration ([H+]) and serum carbon dioxide concentration ([CO2]). In a second analysis, NAE to pH relationship was examined, and is de facto treated to be linear. This study used historical, cross-sectional data of 58 repeated measurements from 8 subjects for the primary measurements of NAEC, blood [H+], and serum [CO2]. Using fixed models, higher NAEC associated with lower [H+] and higher [CO2]. Using hierarchical models, the interindividual variations in [H+] and [CO2] explained the variations in NAEC. In the second analysis (n = 59), a quadratic NAE to pH relationship (NAE = −846.77 + 341.47 pH − 31.50 pH 2) can be reported. Net acid excretion capacity, a noninvasive tool to assess the renal ability to excrete an acid load, has a physiologic base to it, in that it captures the inherent nonlinear relations of NAE to pH explaining endogenous [H+] retention/excretion. A higher vegetable and fruit consumption might relieve NAEC and allow excess [H+] loss via both renal and respiratory routes.