ON THE MECHANISM OF THE DEPRESSION OF THE SERUM POTASSIUM LEVEL BY EPINEPHRINE

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Abstract
The action of epinephrine in effecting a decrease in serum K cannot be completely explained as being a result of secondary mobilization of insulin. Epinephrine causes a marked lowering in blood pH, an effect which very probably has its origin in an increase in the pH within the cell. By analogy to Fenn and Cobb''s findings that increases in the pH within the cell lead to a lowering of the K conc. in the extracellular fluids, this may explain in part the decreases in serum K observed following epinephrine. An additional factor in the ultimate fall in serum K is the rapidity with which the liver replenishes its stores of K at the expense of the extracellular fluids following cessation of epinephrine.

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