NMR monitoring of the energy status of skeletal muscle during hemodialysis using acetate.

The concentration of phosphate-containing metabolites in the resting gastrocnemius muscle of three patients in chronic renal insufficiency was monitored by NMR spectroscopy before and during their regular hemodialysis using a conventional acetate bath. During dialysis, the muscle ATP concentration did not change, and no significant pyrophosphate accumulation was seen. The intracellular and extracellular inorganic phosphate concentration fell as expected. It is concluded that the rapid metabolism of acetate induced by dialysis does not affect the concentration of high energy phosphate-metabolites in the resting muscle of acetate-tolerant patients.