Effect of carbonic anhydrase inhibition on (U-B)pCO2 in the alkaline urine of the rabbit.

Abstract

We studied factors influencing urine pCO2 minus blood pCO2 [(U-B)pCO2] in rabbits infused with sodium bicarbonate solutions. Unlike other species, the rabbit does not develop a significant (U-B)pCO2 (urine pCO2 greater than blood pCO2) after alkali or acid buffer infusion. However, intravenous acetazolamide immediately induced a significant (U-B)pCO2. The effect could not be related to the blood pH or pCO2, the urinary concentration of bicarbonate or inorganic phosphate, or to changes in plasma potassium concentration. Methazolamide was also effective in increasing (U-B)pCO2. This significant (U-B)pCO2 was present after carbonic anhydrase inhibition in rabbits subjected to chronic partial obstruction of urinary flow and in rabbits treated with 11-desoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA). We propose that carbon dioxide is normally dissipated from the alkaline urine of the rabbit by a distal tubular mechanism, which involves catalytic conversion of carbon dioxide to bicarbonate. Inhibition of carbonic anhydrase leads to the formation of a significant (U-B)pCO2. In the rabbit, pCO2 may be an index of collecting duct acidification under certain circumstances; however, the relation of collecting duct acidification to the high (U-B)pCO2 during the inhibition of carbonic anhydrase remains to be determined.