ACID-BASE-BALANCE IN PLASMATIC, PERICARDIAL AND PERITONEAL FLUIDS IN 2 SPECIES OF AMPHIBIANS

The carbonic acid-base balance and the concentrations of Na and CI wer e studied in 3 fluids, plasmatic, pericardial and peritoneal, sampled from 2 species of amphibians: Pleurodeles waltl and Xenopus laevis. In Pleurodeles the pericardial and peritoneal fluids are in a state of m arked metabolic alkalosis, the carbonate alkalinity being up to IO tim es higher in the serosal fluids than in the plasma, whereas P-CO2's ar e very close in the 3 fluids. The CI concentration is markedly lower i n the serosal fluids than in the plasma. In Xenopus, the metabolic alk alosis of the serosal fluids also exists, but to a much lower extent t han in Pleurodeles. These observations lend to further researches in t he field of morphometry, physicochemistry and physiology.