Abstract
To examine the precise role of potassium and aldosterone on acid-base composition and on collecting tubule ATPases, glucocorticoid-replete adrenalectomized rats were replaced with zero, physiological, or pharmacological doses of aldosterone and were fed varying potassium diets to produce hypokalemia, normokalemia, or hyperkalemia. Radiochemical measurement of ATPase activities showed that collecting tubule H/K-ATPase changed inversely with potassium and not with aldosterone whereas H-ATPase changed directly with aldosterone but not with potassium. When both enzymes changed in the same direction, alterations in acid-base composition were profound; however, when these two acidifying enzymes changed in opposite directions or when only one enzyme changed, the effect on acid-base balance was modest. Serum bicarbonate was approximately 45 meq/liter when aldosterone was high and potassium was low; it was only 29 meq/liter when aldosterone was high but potassium was normal or when aldosterone was normal and potassium was low. Our observations may help explain the metabolic alkalosis of primary aldosteronism in which aldosterone excess and hypokalemia are combined and the metabolic acidosis of aldosterone deficiency in which hypoaldosteronism and hyperkalemia are paired. The present study also demonstrated that aldosterone plays the major role in controlling Na/K-ATPase activity in cortical collecting tubule. Hypokalemia stimulates Na/K-ATPase activity in the medullary collecting tubule; this stimulatory effect of hypokalemia supports the hypothesis that the enzyme is present on the apical membrane at this site.