Effect of natural variations in PaCO2 on plasma [HCO3-] in dogs: a redefinition of normal.

Graded degrees of both chronic hyper- and hypocapnia are known to induce renal responses that significantly alter plasma bicarbonate concentration. These findings have raised the possibility that even normal variations in PaCO2 play an important role in determining the exact level of bicarbonate in plasma. To test this hypothesis, we examined the relationship between resting levels of PaCO2 and the plasma bicarbonate concentration in two groups of normal dogs, one ingesting a normal salt diet and the other a salt-restricted diet. The results indicate that values for bicarbonate within the normal range are highly dependent on the prevaling level of carbon dioxide tension ([HCO3-] = 0.35 PaCO2 + 9.0, r = 0.72). Accordingly, approximately 50% of the normal variance in bicarbonate concentration is explained simply by the variance in PaCO2. The joint confidence region for bicarbonate concentration and PaCO2, which can be derived from these data, provides a new and more rigorous definition of the normal range for acid-base values in the dog.