Metabolic acidosis can occur as a result of either the accumulation of endogenous
acids or loss of
bicarbonate from the gastrointestinal tract or the kidney, which represent common causes of
metabolic acidosis. The appropriate treatment of acute
metabolic acidosis has been very controversial. Ionized alkaline water was not evaluated in such groups of patients in spite of its safety and reported benefits. So, we aimed to assess its efficacy in the management of
metabolic acidosis in animal models. Two models of
metabolic acidosis were created in dogs and rats. The first model of
renal failure was induced by
ligation of both ureters; and the second model was induced by
urinary diversion to gut (gastrointestinal
bicarbonate loss model). Both models were subjected to ionized alkaline water (orally and by
hemodialysis). Dogs with
renal failure were assigned to two groups according to the type of
dialysate utilized during
hemodialysis sessions, the first was utilizing alkaline water and the second was utilizing conventional water. Another two groups of animals with
urinary diversion were arranged to receive oral alkaline water and tap water. In
renal failure animal models,
acid-base parameters improved significantly after
hemodialysis with ionized alkaline water compared with the conventional water treated with reverse osmosis (RO). Similar results were observed in
urinary diversion models as there was significant improvement of both the partial pressure of
carbon dioxide and serum
bicarbonate (P = 0.007 and 0.001 respectively) after utilizing alkaline water orally. Alkaline ionized water can be considered as a major safe strategy in the management of
metabolic acidosis secondary to
renal failure or dialysis or
urinary diversion. Human studies are indicated in the near future to confirm this issue in humans.