Immediate Decrease in Respiratory C14O2 Excretion Following Simultaneous Intravenous Administration of NaHC14O3 and Acetazoleamide in the Rat

Summary The effect of acetazoleamide on rate of expiration of carbon dioxide was studied in rats using carbon-14 labeled bicarbonate. A marked transient reduction in expired C14O2 was observed during the first 10 minutes after simultaneous intravenous injection of the drug (70 mg/kg) and NaHC14O3. The rate of appearance of C14O2 was reduced 35 ± 7% in the treated animals 5 minutes after injection. When the animals were pretreated (30 minutes) with acetazoleamide (20 mg/kg) and when the labeled NaHC14O3 entered the blood slowly as a result of intraperitoneal injection, the reduction in rate of C14O2 elimination was not nearly as marked.