Effects of Acidosis on Utilization of Glucose in Erythrocytes and Leucocytes

Abstract

Glycolysis was studied in human and dog blood, at normal pH and after acidification in vitro, and in blood drawn from dogs in states of severe acidosis induced by prolonged intraven. perfusions of NH4Cl. In normal dog''s blood, at 37[degree]C and with normal pH, glycolysis averaged 0.018 /ig. of glucose disappearing/hour/million red cells and 9.9 /ig./hr./million white cells; thus the rate for the white cells was 500-600 times faster than that of the red cells. Glycolysis was inhibited in acidotic blood, more in the erythrocytes than in the leucocytes. In four samples of dog blood with pH around 7 the rates of glycolysis for red and white cells, respectively, averaged 0.006 and 6.0 /ig./hr ./million cells. Correction of the pH values to normal by the addition of Na bicarbonate restored the rates of glycolysis to normal, for both red and white cells.