Acute respiratory alkalosis and acidosis and rabbit intestinal ion transport in vivo.

The effects of acute respiratory alkalosis and acidosis on electrolyte transport in the rabbit ileum, colon, and gallbladder were studied. During in situ perfusion, anesthetized animals were ventilated with 0, 3, or 8% CO2 gas, creating states of alkalosis (pH 7.49 +/- 0.01, PCO2 = 27.0 +/- 0.9 mmHg, HCO3 = 21.7 mM), normocapnia (pH 7.38 +/- 0.02, PCO2 = 41.3 +/- 1.1 mmHg, HCO3 = 25.9 +/- 0.4 mM), and acidosis (pH 7.21 +/- 0.01, PCO2 = 66.3 +/- 1.3 mmHg, HCO3 = 28.1 +/- 0.8 mM). In the ileum alkalosis decreased the net absorption of water (-36%), sodium (-44%), and chloride (-27%), whereas acidosis had the opposite effect on water (+69%), sodium (+98%), and chloride (+32%) absorption and reduced bicarbonate secretion. Small changes in net potassium absorption occurred in the direction of water movement. There was no effect on the ileal transmural potential difference (PD). The colon and gallbladder did not respond to the acid-base disorders with changes in electrolyte transport or PD. These results suggest that systemic pH and/or PCO2 affect an electroneutral sodium chloride absorptive process in the rabbit ileum. The simple presence of this absorptive process in the gallbladder was not a sufficient basis for this organ to respond to alterations in systemic pH.