Acid-Base Relations Between Spinal Fluid and Arterial Blood With Special Reference to Control of Ventilation

¹ From the Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and the Medical Clinics of the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts

Simultaneous determinations of arterial blood and spinal fluid pH, CO₂ tension and bicarbonate concentration have been made in dogs under various experimental conditions. The following results were obtained: a) under control conditions spinal fluid pH is significantly lower than arterial pH; spinal fluid CO₂ tension is significantly higher than arterial CO₂ tension; bicarbonate concentrations are essentially the same in both compartments. b) Ammonium chloride administration produces acidosis in arterial blood and a simultaneous shift of spinal fluid pH in an alkaline direction; sodium bicarbonate administration produces arterial alkalosis and a simultaneous shift of spinal fluid pH in an acid direction. c) These ‘paradoxical’ shifts of spinal fluid pH are dependent on the fact that the spinal fluid compartment is permeable to CO₂ and that changes in bicarbonate concentration take place slowly. d) Spinal fluid pH is determined by the CO₂ tension of the spinal fluid; at a given moment CO₂ tension is usually related to the level of ventilation. e) The acid-base relations of spinal fluid differ from those of extracellular fluid generally and probably do not reflect the acid-base balance of the respiratory center.

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