Electrolyte composition of cerebrospinal fluid in acute acid-base disorders.

Electrolyte composition of cisternal CSF was measured during 4 hours of respiratory and metabolic acid-base disturbance in anesthetized dogs. Three groups of dogs were studied: (1), isocapnic metabolic alkalosis; (2), acute respiratory acidosis; and (3), combined respiratory acidosis and metabolic alkalosis. Cisternal CSF [K+] remained unchanged despite significant changes in plasma [K+], PCO2 and [HCO3-]; suggesting that mechanisms involved in regulation of CSF [K+] continue to operate normally under such conditions. Cisternal [Na+] and osmolality remained unchanged with almost identical reciprocal equimolar changes in CSF concentration of Cl- and HCO3- during the acid-base disorders studied. The regulatory mechanisms involved in this Cl- -HCO3- exchange may be different in different acid-base disorders, but since CSF [Na+] is kept constant, CSF [HCO3-] in any acid-base disorder equals the difference between CSF [Na+] and CSF [Cl-].