Biomaterial Database

Voltage-clamp studies of transient inward current and mechanical oscillations induced by ouabain in ferret papillary muscle. 1982

H S Karagueuzian, and B G Katzung

1. We studied the effects of a toxic concentration of ouabain on transmembrane electrical activity and on mechanical behaviour of right ventricular papillary muscles from ferrets in a single sucrose-gap using current clamp and voltage clamp.2. Ouabain (1.4-1.8 muM) induced oscillatory after-potentials and after-concentrations in current-clamp experiments. Voltage clamp showed that the oscillatory after-potential was caused by a transient inward current, similar to that in Purkinje fibres.3. The transient current had a sigmoidal dependence on the preceding (activating) voltage step V1, with a treshold around -13 mV and a plateau between +10 and 20 mV. There was a decline in current amplitude for more positive clamps. When activated by a fixed V1 voltage step, and measured at different repolarization levels V2, the transient current manifested an inverse dependence on V2 between -50 and -10 mV. No outward transient current could be detected. Total replacement of Na in the bathing medium by Tris or by sucrose abolished the transient current.4. Ouabain caused an increase of phasic (twitch) tension responses to voltage steps at all potentials without shifting the curve relating these variables on the voltage axis. The drug evoked an even greater increase in the tonic tension responses.5. After prolonged exposure, oscillatory mechanical responses were frequently recorded during positive voltage steps. Unlike the after-contraction, these mechanical fluctuations were not consistently damped and were not accompanied by detectable synchronous current fluctuations. Catecholamines and dibutyryl cyclic AMP markedly reduced the amplitude of the tonic contraction and the mechanical oscillations but increased their frequency. Caffeine had no effect on the tonic contraction amplitude but abolished the fluctuations.6. These results support the proposal that Ca is transiently released from the overloaded sarcoplasmic reticulum in ouabain-intoxicated muscle and may evoke oscillatory responses in nearby contractile fibrils. When these transient increases of sarcoplasmic free Ca are large enough, they may induce the transient transmembrane current described above.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007700	Kinetics	The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D008564	Membrane Potentials	The voltage differences across a membrane. For cellular membranes they are computed by subtracting the voltage measured outside the membrane from the voltage measured inside the membrane. They result from differences of inside versus outside concentration of potassium, sodium, chloride, and other ions across cells' or ORGANELLES membranes. For excitable cells, the resting membrane potentials range between -30 and -100 millivolts. Physical, chemical, or electrical stimuli can make a membrane potential more negative (hyperpolarization), or less negative (depolarization).	Resting Potentials,Transmembrane Potentials,Delta Psi,Resting Membrane Potential,Transmembrane Electrical Potential Difference,Transmembrane Potential Difference,Difference, Transmembrane Potential,Differences, Transmembrane Potential,Membrane Potential,Membrane Potential, Resting,Membrane Potentials, Resting,Potential Difference, Transmembrane,Potential Differences, Transmembrane,Potential, Membrane,Potential, Resting,Potential, Transmembrane,Potentials, Membrane,Potentials, Resting,Potentials, Transmembrane,Resting Membrane Potentials,Resting Potential,Transmembrane Potential,Transmembrane Potential Differences
D009119	Muscle Contraction	A process leading to shortening and/or development of tension in muscle tissue. Muscle contraction occurs by a sliding filament mechanism whereby actin filaments slide inward among the myosin filaments.	Inotropism,Muscular Contraction,Contraction, Muscle,Contraction, Muscular,Contractions, Muscle,Contractions, Muscular,Inotropisms,Muscle Contractions,Muscular Contractions
D010042	Ouabain	A cardioactive glycoside consisting of rhamnose and ouabagenin, obtained from the seeds of Strophanthus gratus and other plants of the Apocynaceae; used like DIGITALIS. It is commonly used in cell biological studies as an inhibitor of the NA(+)-K(+)-EXCHANGING ATPASE.	Acocantherin,G-Strophanthin,Acolongifloroside K,G Strophanthin
D010210	Papillary Muscles	Conical muscular projections from the walls of the cardiac ventricles, attached to the cusps of the atrioventricular valves by the chordae tendineae.	Muscle, Papillary,Muscles, Papillary,Papillary Muscle
D002335	Carnivora	An order of MAMMALS, usually flesh eaters with appropriate dentition. Suborders include the terrestrial carnivores Fissipedia, and the aquatic carnivores CANIFORMIA.
D005289	Ferrets	Semidomesticated variety of European polecat much used for hunting RODENTS and/or RABBITS and as a laboratory animal. It is in the subfamily Mustelinae, family MUSTELIDAE.	Domestic Polecat,Domestic Polecats,European Polecat,European Polecats,Ferret,Mustela putorius,Mustela putorius furo,Polecat, Domestic,Polecat, European,Polecats, Domestic,Polecats, European
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D016276	Ventricular Function	The hemodynamic and electrophysiological action of the HEART VENTRICLES.	Function, Ventricular,Functions, Ventricular,Ventricular Functions
D066298	In Vitro Techniques	Methods to study reactions or processes taking place in an artificial environment outside the living organism.	In Vitro Test,In Vitro Testing,In Vitro Tests,In Vitro as Topic,In Vitro,In Vitro Technique,In Vitro Testings,Technique, In Vitro,Techniques, In Vitro,Test, In Vitro,Testing, In Vitro,Testings, In Vitro,Tests, In Vitro,Vitro Testing, In