Carbon dioxide dissociation curve and buffer capacity of dog heart muscle

¹ Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota

The carbon dioxide dissociation curve of dog heart muscle was found to be higher than of dog skeletal muscle. The slope of this dissociation curve in the range of Pco₂ 20–55 and the buffer capacity of dog heart muscle with respect to Pco₂ appear to be approximately equal to those of dog skeletal muscle. Seemingly, in the dog, heart muscle is at least as well buffered against the pH-lowering effect of increasing CO₂ tension as is skeletal muscle and is more effectively buffered than has previously been realized.

Key Words: intracellular pH • myocardial pH • bicarbonate

Submitted on April 1, 1965