title: Potassium adaptation: 39K-NMR evidence for intracellular compartmentalization of K+.
abstract: To investigate the effects of K+ uptake on the intracellular environment, both 39K-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and K+-selective electrodes were used to measure K+ activity with acute K+ loading in control and K+-adapted rats. These results were then compared with tissue K+, measured by flame photometry. There was a lower NMR K+ visibility (ratio of NMR signal to tissue content) in muscle and liver in K+-adapted rats, compared with controls before and after an acute K+ load. This lower K+ visibility in K+-adapted rats was confirmed in liver homogenate with the K+-specific electrode. In liver homogenates from control and K+-adapted rats, addition of RbCl (300 mumol/g) increased the NMR K+ signal more in K+-adapted rats (19 +/- 1.1 mumol/g) than controls (11 +/- 1.0 mumol/g, P less than 0.01). This is consistent with the displacement of K+, by Rb+, from NMR-undetected sites. These results suggest that some 10-15% of intracellular K+ may be within a compartment not detectable by NMR or electrodes and that chronic K+ loading leads to an increased capacity of this compartment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Veterans Administration Medical Center, San Francisco 94121.
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Adam
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Koretsky
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Weiner
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007425:Intracellular Membranes / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
chemical_list: D011188:Potassium