Modification of intra-erythrocytic homeostasis in uremic patients, as studied with 31P nuclear magnetic resonance.

Intra-erythrocytic pH, ATP concentrations, and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate relaxation times were studied in living erythrocytes by "high-resolution" 31P NMR spectroscopy to assess homeostasis within the cells. In uremic patients, intra-erythrocytic pH is significantly decreased before hemodialysis, but is corrected equally well by hemodialysis against either acetate or bicarbonate. This acidic pHi may be correlated with the increased concentration of ATP in erythrocytes in uremia, which is partly corrected by these two types of hemodialysis. Similarly, the significant decrease of spin-spin relaxation times in uremic patients is corrected by hemodialysis.