Role of hormonal factors in plasma K alterations in acute respiratory and metabolic alkalosis in dogs

Abstract

Studies were performed on previously nephrectomized dogs to examine roles of hormonal factors in plasma potassium alterations in acute alkalosis. Respiratory and metabolic alkalosis were induced by hyperventilation and intravenous NaHCO3 or tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane (Tris) infusion, respectively. Respiratory and NaHCO3-induced alkalosis provoked decreases in plasma potassium from the control value of 5.12 +/- 0.68 (SE) to 4.21 +/- 0.55 meq/l (P less than 0.01) and from 4.65 +/- 0.26 to 3.91 +/- 0.16 meq/l (P less than 0.01) within 180 min, respectively. In contrast, Tris-induced alkalosis elicited an increase in plasma potassium from the control value of 4.56 +/- 0.30 to 5.31 +/- 0.30 meq/l (P less than 0.01). Hypokalemia in respiratory alkalosis was associated with a decrease in the plasma norepinephrine concentration from the control level of 377 +/- 104 to 155 +/- 41 pg/ml (P less than 0.05) but not with changes in plasma levels of epinephrine, insulin, glucagon, cortisol, and aldosterone. However, this hypokalemia was not affected by phentolamine. Also, somatostatin did not modify the hypokalemic response. NaHCO3-induced hypokalemia was associated with a decline in the plasma aldosterone and norepinephrine concentrations. The decline in plasma norepinephrine in NaHCO3-induced alkalosis followed the decrease in plasma potassium. In Tris-induced alkalosis, plasma insulin increased but norepinephrine decreased. The findings do not suggest fundamental roles of the hormonal factors in the plasma potassium alterations in bilaterally nephrectomized dogs with acute alkalosis.