Effects of erythrocytes, bicarbonate, temperature and albumin on in vitro ionized calcium variations with pH

Using a heart lung machine as an in vitro model, the relation between ionized calcium (cCa2+) and pH has been shown to depend on several variables such as erythrocytes, temperature and albumin as well as the total calcium and bicarbonate concentrations. The respiratory acid-base disturbances were simulated by changing the gas flow between 1.0 and 2.4 1 min-1 by adding CO2 to the machine at a concentration of 0 to 17%. When pCO2 was used to alter pH, cCa2+ varied from 0.16 mmol l-1 per pH unit to 0.52 mmol l-1. The regression slope of cCa2+ on pH was made steeper by decreasing erythrocyte volume fraction and by increasing temperature and the concentrations of HCO-3, calcium or albumin. The metabolic acid-base alterations were produced by HC1 or NaHCO-3 at a constant gas flow. cCA2+ changes per pH unit were 0.70 mmol 1-1 in plasma and 1.04 mmol l-1 in whole blood. The different results found in plasma and in erythrocyte fluids may be explained by their different buffering capacity. Haemoglobin may buffer hy...