['To assess the in vivo peritoneal inflammatory reaction in rats dialyzed with neutral, bicarbonate-lactate-buffered dialysis fluid.', 'Chronic peritoneal dialysis was performed for 4 weeks in Wistar rats with two solutions: (1) 40 mmol/L lactate-buffered fluid, pH 5.2, with a glucose concentration of 2.27 g/dL (Lac); and, (2) 15 mmol/L lactate and 25 mmol/L bicarbonate-buffered fluid, pH 7.0-7.5, with a glucose concentration of 2.27 g/dL (Bic-Lac). After 4 weeks, two peritoneal equilibration tests (PET 1 and PET 2) were performed in all animals with each respective solution. PET 1 was done with test solutions alone, whereas, on a subsequent day, PET 2 was performed with test solutions supplemented with endotoxin [lipopolysaccharide (LPS)] to induce peritonitis.', 'During PET 1 no consistent differences were detected in peritoneal permeability between the Lac and Bic-Lac groups. Total dialysate cell count in the Bic-Lac animals was lower than in rats treated with Lac fluid: that is, at 8 hours, the respective counts were 1858+/-524 cells/microL versus 2785+/-1162 cells/microL (p < 0.01). Dialysate from animals dialyzed with Bic-Lac contained more macrophages (at 4 hours: 53.6%+/-35.8% versus 35.8%+/-8.8%, p < 0.001) and fewer neutrophils (at 4 hours: 3.6%+/-1.8% versus 15.4%+/-6.1%, p < 0.001) as compared to those dialyzed with the Lac solution. Concentration of nitrites in 8-hour dwell dialysate samples from Bic-Lac rats was lower than that in the Lac group (0.98+/-0.28 micromol/mL versus 2.32+/-0.87 micromol/mL, p < 0.002), but cytokine levels in the dialysates were comparable. During PET 2, the increase in peritoneal permeability resulting from the LPS-induced inflammatory response was similar for both test solutions. Dialysate cell count was higher in the Lac group versus the Bic-Lac group (at 8 hours: 8789+/-4862 cells/microL versus 3961+/-581 cells/microL, p < 0.001), contained more neutrophils (at 8 hours: 80.0%+/-11.3% versus 54.8%+/-4.4%, p < 0.001) and fewer macrophages (at 8 hours: 6.8%+/-5.6% versus 21.2%+/-3.3%, p < 0.05). During peritonitis, we found a higher overall dialysate concentration of both tumor necrosis factor (TNFalpha: +53%, p < 0.05) and of interferon gamma (IFN-gamma: +303%, p < 0.02), in the Bic-Lac group than in the Lac group.'] Does bicarbonate/lactate dialysis solution improve in vivo function of peritoneal host defense in rats?