Muscle Cell pH in Relation to Chronicity of Potassium Depletion

Summary Intracellular hydrogen ion changes in skeletal muscle from rats on a low-K regimen for 14 or 35 days were determined by DMO distribution. The objective was to determine whether changes in intracellular pH, plasma pH and plasma bicarbonate concentration would parallel the Na plus K deficit in K-deficient muscle. The results of this study were interpreted as indicating that the increased acidity in skeletal muscle from K-deficient rats is apparently related to the chronicity of K restriction but totally unrelated to the unequal replacement of muscle K loss by Na gain.