Electrolyte composition of pulmonary alveolar subphase in anesthetized rabbits.

We measured the concentration of Na+, K+, Ca2+, and Cl- in the aqueous subphase of the alveolar lining by puncturing the most superficial alveoli of the exposed lungs of anesthetized rabbits with ion-selective microelectrodes and a nonselective KCl microelectrode. A buffered electrolyte solution bathed the lung surface to keep it moist and warm (38 +/- 1 degrees C) and to serve as a reference for each measurement of ionic concentration. The serum and alveolar concentrations (meq/l) were Na+ 134 +/- 6 and 135 +/- 5, K+ 3.4 +/- 0.2 and 7.3 +/- 0.7, Ca2+ 3.1 +/- 0.2 and 3.2 +/- 0.4, and Cl- 106 +/- 7 and 103 +/- 5 (mean +/- SD). Only K+ was significantly different (P less than 0.001). There was a small electrical potential difference between the alveolar lumen and the pleural surface (-3.5 +/- 0.8 mV, lumen negative) that was significantly different from zero (P less than 0.001). Although it is not possible to measure ion fluxes with these techniques, the results are consistent with active transport of one or more of the ions studied.