[Role of hypoxia factor in changes of ionic composition of blood and muscle tissue in experimental botulinum poisoning]

Levels of sodium and potassium ions in muscle tissue, blood plasma and red cells were measured, and the index characterizing the capacity of tissue to accumulate cations from the environment and the discrimination coefficient were calculated in experiments on white rats subjected to experimental generalized botulinum poisoning. Late stages of botulism were found to involve a deficit of potassium and sodium ions in red cells. With the progress of intoxication, a deficit of potassium ions develops in muscle tissue and the capacity of this tissue to accumulate potassium ions from the environment declines. All these disorders are more expressed in rapidly contracting skeletal muscles. An antihypoxant gutimin reduces sodium deficit in the blood plasma and red cells and leads to normalization of potassium ion levels in muscle tissue.