Ischemically sensitive abdominal visceral afferents reflexly stimulate the cardiovascular system. To explore the role of H+ contribution by lactic acid and hypercapnia, we recorded single-unit activity of ischemically sensitive abdominal afferents in anesthetized cats. The individual responses to sodium lactate, lactic acid, and hypercapnia then were examined. Abdominal ischemia significantly decreased organ tissue pH from an average of 7.21 +/- 0.03-7.05 +/- 0.03 (P less than 0.05), during which impulse activity of 13 A delta- and 32 C-fibers significantly increased. Although hypercapnia (12% CO2) induced a similar decrease in tissue pH, impulse frequency increased in 0 of 4 A delta- and only 2 of 13 C-fibers. In contrast, lactic acid decreased tissue pH significantly less than ischemia or hypercapnia but increased impulse activity in 7 of 10 A delta- and 11 of 12 C-fibers. Conversely, only 1 of 3 A delta- and 0 of 10 C-fibers responded to sodium lactate. Thus ischemically sensitive visceral afferents respond to the H+ derived from lactic acid rather than hypercapnia. However, these afferents do not respond to sodium lactate. These data suggest that ischemically sensitive abdominal visceral afferents are responsive specifically to lactic acid rather than to the dissociated ions lactate or H+ or to changes in PCO2.