PMID: 8594907Dec 1, 1995Paper

NMR spectroscopy studies of severe hypokalemia in isolated rat hearts

The American Journal of Physiology
E W PetersonJ I Shapiro

Abstract

Effects of acute tissue potassium depletion on cellular energy metabolism are poorly understood. To examine this issue, we performed the following studies in an isovolumic isolated perfused heart preparation. Perfusion of isolated hearts with media lacking potassium (K = 0 mmol/l) for 30 min resulted in ventricular fibrillation, rapid decreases in creatine phosphate (PCr) and ATP, and increases in Pi. During reinstitution of normal perfusate potassium, hearts did not resume normal contractions, and no increases in tissue ATP were observed. However, some normalization of PCr and Pi were noted during reinstitution of normal perfusate. Perfusion with media containing K = 2 mmol/l caused significant but less dramatic decreases in tissue ATP concentrations than perfusion with media containing K = 0 mmol/l. Reduction of perfusate calcium from 1.2 (normal) to 0.6 mmol/l in media containing K = 0 mmol/l attenuated the fall in ATP seen with media containing K = 0 mmol/l. Conversely, increasing perfusate calcium to 2.4 mmol/l in media containing K = 2 mmol/l markedly worsened the fall in tissue ATP seen in media containing K = 2 mmol/l. In this subgroup (K = 2 mmol/l, Ca = 2.4 mmol/l), ventricular fibrillation developed approximately one...Continue Reading

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