Dietary potassium and laxatives as regulators of colonic potassium secretion in end-stage renal disease

Mathialahan, T.; Sandle, G. I.

doi:10.1093/ndt/18.2.341

Background. In end-stage renal disease (ESRD), colonic potassium (K+) secretion increases as renal K+ excretion declines. The nature of this adaptive process is poorly understood, but post-prandial increases in plasma K+ concentration may be a determining factor. In addition, even though colonic K+ secretion increases in ESRD, interdialytic hyperkalaemia is a serious problem in haemodialysis patients, which might be reduced by stimulating colonic K+ secretion still further using laxatives.