"Physiologic" intracellular acidosis in pregnancy.

Bardicef, O; Bardicef, M; Sorokin, Y; Cotton, D B; Resnick, L M · Am J Obstet Gynecol · 1995

cross_sectional · Level IV

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Abstract

To investigate acid-base homeostasis in pregnancy, we used phosphorus 31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to measure intracellular pH in erythrocytes from nonpregnant (n = 33) and third-trimester pregnant women (n = 22). Intracellular pH was lower in pregnant compared with nonpregnant controls (7.23 +/- 0.015 vs 7.29 +/- 0.012, p = 0.003). We hypothesize that this "physiologic" intracellular acidosis of pregnancy potentiates oxygen-hemoglobin dissociation and oxygen delivery across the placenta.

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