Effect of Acidosis and Alkalosis on the Total Base,Chloride and CO 2 Contents of Muscle

Abstract

It was reported 1 that the total base content of the abdominal muscle of rabbits receiving an injection of 25% NaCl in the pleural cavity was considerably higher than that of control animals receiving the same quantity of normal saline. The permeability of the muscle to the sodium ion having been thus demonstrated, the total base content of muscle might be expected to increase with alkalosis and to decrease with acidosis. The experiments reported in this paper are designed to test this point. Some further experiments with NaCl injection are included.

Rabbits were anesthetized with morphine hydrochloride (20 mg. per kg.). The abdominal wall was slit open, the ureters were tied, and the abdominal wall closed. Acidosis or alkalosis was produced by giving HCl, NaHCO₃ or Na₂CO₃ solution. In some experiments the solution was introduced into the stomach by means of a tube, in others it was injected into the femoral vein at a rate of 1 cc. per minute. One-half to 2 hours after the introduction of the solution, blood was drawn from the heart and mixed with ammonium oxalate under oil. Pieces of muscle were taken from the abdominal wall. A small portion of the blood which was collected separately under oil with potassium oxalate was used for the determination of pH by the method of Shock and Hastings 2 . The remainder of the blood was centrifuged under oil. Determinations of water, total base, Cl and CO₂ were made on the muscle and blood plasma. Water was determined by drying at 110°C. for 12 hours. Chloride was determined by the method of Wilson and Ball 3 , total base by the method of Stadie and Ross 4 . CO₂ was determined by the manometric method of Van Slyke and Neill 5 .