Effect of Sodium, Chloride and Potassium Supplementation, With and Without Diamox, on Muscle Composition and Renal Electrolyte Excretion in Electrolyte-Depleted Rats

¹ From the Department of Biochemistry, State University of New York, Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York

Electrolytes were determined on plasma, muscle and urine of Na, K and Cl triple-depleted rats following administration for 5 days of equimolar quantities of various electrolyte solutions (NaCl, NaHCO₃, KCl, KHCO₃ and NH₄Cl) with and without Diamox. An attempt was made to relate changes of the plasma HCO₃ concentration to an exchange of H⁺ between extracellular and intracellular fluids and to renal anion and cation excretion. Dietary restriction of Na, K and Cl for 35 days led to a slightly increased plasma HCO₃. Supplementation with Na salts caused a striking increase in plasma HCO₃, with KCl a slight fall, with KHCO₃ a slight rise, and with NH₄Cl a marked decrease. In the majority of experiments the altered plasma HCO₃ could not be predicted from the H⁺ exchange, based on relative changes of muscle Na and K. However, in general, it could be predicted on the basis of the relative changes in plasma Cl and Na, which in turn seem to be related to urinary anion and cation excretion.