THE EFFECT OF ACUTE ELEVATION OF THE PLASMA CHLORIDE CONCENTRATION ON THE RENAL EXCRETION OF BICARBONATE DURING ACUTE RESPIRATORY ACIDOSIS 1

Abstract

It has been postulated recently that renal bicarbonate reabsorption is entirely dependent on the exchange of hydrogen ions, derived from the dissociation of carbonic acid within the cells of the renal tubule, for the fixed base of filtered bicarbonate in the tubular urine (1-3). According to this theory, an elevation of the CO2 tension of the extracellular fluid results in an increase in the rate of bicarbonate reabsorption because it leads to an increase in the rate of hydrogen ion