Potassium

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Potassium
2D structure for Potassium
Chemical Name	potassium
Chemical Formula	K
CAS Number	7440-09-7
Chemical Information	HMDB00586
Biochemical Taxonomy	Minerals and Elements
Functional Taxonomy	Not Available
Nutritional Taxonomy	Minerals
Metabolic Pathways	Not Available
Biofluid Location	Blood Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Urine
Tissue Location	Not Available
Normal Biofluid Concentrations	Blood: 4100.0 (3600.0-4600.0) uM Blood: 4200.0 (3600.0 - 4800.0) uM Blood: 4560.0 +/- 560.0 uM Blood: 4600.0 +/- 500.0 uM Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF): 2960.0 (2620.0-3300.0) uM Urine: 4605.2 (2631.5 - 6578.9) umol/mmol creatinine
Normal Tissue Concentrations	Not Available
Diseases / Conditions Related to Nutrition	Not Available
Other (Monogenic Disorders)	Aicar transformylase/imp cyclohydrolase, deficiency of OMIM: 608688 Dystrophia myotonica 1 OMIM: 160900 Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis OMIM: 170500 Long QT syndrome 1 OMIM: 192500 Lowe oculocerebrorenal syndrome OMIM: 309000 Malignant hyperthermia, susceptibility to, 1 OMIM: 145600 Pseudohypoaldosteronism, type II OMIM: 145260
Abnormal Biofluid Concentrations	Not Available
Abnormal Tissue Concentrations	Not Available
Physiological Processes	Not Available

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Introduction

guidelines
Potassium is an essential electrolyte. Potassium balance is crucial for regulating the excitability of nerves and muscles and so critical for regulating contractility of cardiac muscle. Although the most important changes seen in the presence of deranged potassium are cardiac, smooth muscle is also affected with increasing muscle weakness, a feature of both hyperkalaemia and hypokalaemia. Potassium (K+) is a positively charged electrolyte, cation, which is present throughout the body in both intracellular and extracellular fluids. The majority of body potassium, >90%, are intracellular. It moves freely from intracellular fluid (ICF) to extracellular fluid (ECF) and vice versa when adenosine triphosphate increases the permeability of the cell membrane. It is mainly replaced inside or outside the cells by another cation, sodium (Na+). The movement of potassium into or out of the cells is linked to certain body hormones and also to certain physiological states. Standard laboratory tests measure ECF potassium. Potassium enters the body rapidly during food ingestion. Insulin is produced when a meal is eaten; this causes the temporary movement of potassium from ECF to ICF. Over the ensuing hours, the kidneys excrete the ingested potassium and homeostasis is returned. In the critically ill patient, suffering from hyperkalaemia, this mechanism can be manipulated beneficially by administering high concentration (50%) intravenous glucose. Insulin can be added to the glucose, but glucose alone will stimulate insulin production and cause movement of potassium from ECF to ICF. The stimulation of alpha receptors causes increased movement of potassium from ICF to ECF. A noradrenaline infusion can elevate serum potassium levels. An adrenaline infusion, or elevated adrenaline levels, can lower serum potassium levels. Metabolic acidosis causes a rise in extracellular potassium levels. In this situation, excess of hydrogen ions (H+) are exchanged for intracellular potassium ions, probably as a result of the cellular response to a falling blood pH. Metabolic alkalosis causes the opposite effect, with potassium moving into the cells. (PMID: 17883675)