Tissue Citrate Levels and Citrate Utilization after Sodium Bicarbonate Administration. ∗

Abstract

Summary

Sodium bicarbonate administration increased the excretion of C¹⁴-labeled citrate in the urine. It decreased the conversion of C¹⁴-labeled citrate to C¹⁴O₂ to approximately the same extent as it increased the urinary excretion of radioactive citrate. Tissue levels of citrate in the kidney rose 3-fold after sodium bicarbonate administration; there was a significant but relatively small rise in liver citrate and no change in heart citrate after sodium bicarbonate. Thus sodium bicarbonate appears to affect citrate metabolism predominantly in the kidney.