The Journal of clinical investigation
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Comparative Study
Treatment of lactic acidosis with dichloroacetate in dogs.
Lactic acidosis is a clinical condition due to accumulation of H(+) ions from lactic acid, characterized by blood lactate levels >5 mM and arterial pH <7.25. In addition to supportive care, treatment usually consists of intravenous NaHCO(3), with a resultant mortality >60%. Dichloroacetate (DCA) is a compound that lowers blood lactate levels under various conditions in both man and laboratory animals. ⋯ Dogs pretreated with DCA also had lower blood lactate and higher arterial pH and bicarbonate than did those pretreated with NaCl. Thus, in either of two models of type B experimental lactic acidosis, treatment with DCA improves cardiac index, arterial pH, bicarbonate and lactate, and liver pHi. The mortality in dogs with type B lactic acidosis was significantly less in DCA-treated animals than in those treated with other modalities.