Acid-Base Regulation I Flashcards
Maintained by the coordinated actions of the renal and respiratory systems
Acid-base homeostasis
Changes in ventilation result in changes in the partial pressure of
CO2 in blood (PCO2)
The kidneys conserve and produce the main physiologic buffer, which is
Bicarbonate (HCO3-)
In the kidneys there is a linear relationship between endogenous acid production and
H+ excretion
Minor fluctuations in [H+] produce substantial changes in
pH
Physiologically, H+ originates from
Carbonic and non-carbonic acids
Mainly weak acids which reversibly consume or release H+, and in doing so minimize changes in pH
Buffers
The hydrated form of H+, which is small, highly reactive, and both attracted and bound to negative moieties within proteins
Hydronium Ion (H3O+
Most biologically relevant molecules can accept or donate H+ ions, which is accompanied by the concaminant change in the
Charge on the molecule
A deviation in charge equates to a change in conformation, which results in altered function of the
Molecule
Carbonic acids and noncarbonic acids constitute the so-called
Physiologic acids
Carbonic and non-carbonic acids originate from the metabolism of
-each day results in approximately 1500 mmol CO2 produced
Fats and carbohydrates
The production of H2CO3 from CO2 and H2O is a very slow reaction without the presence of
Carbonic Anhydrase (CA)
Abundant within both the lung alveoli and the renal peritubular epithelium
Carbonic anhydrase (CA)
Another significant contributor to the daily acid load is the metabolism of proteins via the oxidation of sulfur-containing amino acids, and the hydrolysis of dietary phosphate forming
H2PO4-
A major source of alkali in the body is from the metabolism of
Anionic amino acids
Simply shows that pH depends upon the ratio of HCO3- to H+
H-H equation
Half the acid will ionize and lose H+ if
pH = pKa
The acid will lose H+ if?
pH is greater than pKa
What is the pKa for the bicarbonate buffer system?
6.1
The main extracellular buffer
HCO3-
The most important contributors to maintaining plasma pH are
CO2 and HCO3-
Intracellular buffers consist of
Proteins and inorganic phosphates
The key intracellular buffer within erythrocytes
Hemoglobin (Hb)
Represents a massive reserve of base which can be released in response to reduced pH
Skeletal System
Up to 40% of buffering of an acute acid load occurs via
Bone-mediated mechanisms
The bone buffers include
NaHCO3, KHCO3, CaCO3, and CaHPO4
Bone buffering is associated with a drop in plasma HCO3- and is less effective during
Respiratory acidosis (increased PCO2)
Occurs essentially immediately upon introduction of an acid load
Plasma HCO3- buffering mechanism
Approximately 15 minutes after introduction of an acid load, some buffering is provided by
Interstitial HCO3-
Under normal circumstances, the relative contribution of HCO3- and non-bicarbonate buffering is relatively
Equal
With decreased HCO3-, we see a much larger importance of
Non-bicarbonate buffering (i.e. bone and intracellular)
The utilization of non-bicarbonate buffering occurs after approximately
2-4 hours after acid load introduction
After 2-4 hours, we see the translocation of H+ from the interstitial fluid into cells. This results in the subsequent movement of any or all of the following in order to maintain electroneutrality:
- ) Cl- (primarily in erythrocytes)
2. ) Swapping of intracellular K+/Na+ for H+
Depending on the underlying cause of the acid-base disorder, changes in ventilation begin within
Hours
Within several hours to days, the kidneys mediate
H+ excretion (complete within 5-6 days)
The normal pH of arterial blood is
7.38-7.43
Venous blood is somewhat more acidic due to its increased
CO2 content
Gastric secretions can achieve a maximal acidic pH of approximately
0.7
Secreted pancreatic fluid has an approximate pH of
-most basic in body
8.1