The effects of short-term hypertensive left ventricular hypertrophy on intracellular pH and intracellular electrolytes in rats.

Experiments were performed to assess the effect of left ventricular hypertrophy (induced by experimental hypertension) on intracellular pH (pHi) and intracellular electrolytes in left ventricular tissue. They were undertaken on: (1) hypertensive rats (hypertension being induced by either: (a) subdiaphragmatic aortic constriction, (b) unilateral renal artery clipping, or (c) unilateral renal artery clipping with contralateral nephrectomy); (2) sham-operated rats for the above 3 subgroups; and (3) control (unoperated) rats. Intracellular pH and intracellular electrolytes were measured in left ventricular, right ventricular and skeletal muscle tissue from these animals. Intracellular pH control was assessed by exposing a number of animals in each group to an acute respiratory acidosis (by varying the concentration of inspired PCO2). In association with left ventricular hypertrophy (secondary to hypertension), left ventricular pHi became significantly alkaline in all experimental hypertensive groups compared with control values; pHi control (in response to an acidosis) was also significantly improved. There was no change in resting levels of pHi or pHi control in right ventricular or skeletal muscle tissue in any hypertensive group. There was no change in resting levels of pHi or pHi control in left ventricular, right ventricular or skeletal muscle tissue from sham-operated animals. This suggests that these changes are the result of hypertrophy per se, rather than due to a generalised mechanism secondary to hypertension and operating on all tissues. There was no change in intracellular electrolyte concentration or content in association with hypertension in any tissue or group studied.