Electrolyte Equilibria in Erythrocytes During Diabetic Acidosis 12

It has been suggested that changes in the electrolyte composition of the erythrocyte may parallel such changes in other body cells (1). The main objections to this theory have been that the red cell has not only a slower metabolic rate (2) but also an anion pattern that differs mark- edly from that of other cells (3). In the studies here reported, erythrocyte base and water were measured during diabetic acidosis and recovery, and an attempt made to interpret the observed data in terms of a logical and orderly sequence of events, both within the erythrocyte and within other body compartments. The shifts found in base and water were qualitatively similar to those demonstrated previously by other workers in total intracellular base and water, using balance tech- niques (4-6). Furthermore, in most instances they were quantitatively reconcilable with changes that have been demonstrated in the anion composition of the erythrocyte (7). This suggests that this readily available cell may serve as an in- dicator of intracellular base and water shifts in disease.