Carbon dioxide dissociation curve in potassium depletion

Abstract

It was the purpose of this study to measure the extracellular-intracellular H+ ion relationships in normal and K+-depleted skeletal muscle, as modified by induced changes in PCO2 due to varying degrees of acute hypercapnia. Normal and K+-depleted adult rats were allowed to equilibrate with up to 20% CO2. Plasma and skeletal muscle were analyzed for previously administered 5, 5-dimethyl-2, 4-oxazolidlnedlone-2-C14 (DMO), tritiated water, and C136, and for electrolytes and water. The relationships between PCO2 and both extra- and intracellular hydrogen ion activities as well as that between extra- and intracellular hydrogen ion activities were found to be linear. Increased slopes were associated with more severe K+-depletion and indicated that K+-depleted skeletal muscle was less capable of resisting the tendency to intracellular acldosls induced by acute hypercapnia than was normal muscle.