The contribution of Na and K ions to the pacemaker current in sheep cardiac Purkinje fibres

Abstract

The ionic components of the pacemaker current are quantitatively analysed in sheep cardiac Purkinje fibres by simultaneous measurements of the intracellular Na activity (alpha iNa) and the membrane current under voltage clamp. The pacemaker current is operationally defined as the Cs inhibited membrane current (ICs) in Ba containing media at clamp potentials negative to -60 mV. At these potentials solutions containing CsCl (0.2-5 mM) shift the holding membrane current into the outward direction and simultaneously decrease alpha iNa. The Cs effects on membrane current and alpha iNa display a similar voltage dependence. A Cs inhibited Na influx contributes to ICs. The ratio ICs/(Cs inhibited Na influx in electrical units) is less than 1 at membrane potentials positive to the potassium equilibrium potential EK and greater than 1 at potentials negative to EK. The ratio is close to 1 at EK suggesting Na ions to be the only carriers of the current at EK whereas K ions contribute to ICs at potentials different from EK. The effects of Cs on the Cs inhibited Na influx and ICs show a very similar dose dependence. The effect is half maximum at approximately 0.2 mM CsCl (in 21.6 mM K; clamp potential: -85 mV). An increase of the external K concentration augments ICs and the Cs inhibited Ca influx. Na and K ions carrying ICs probably cross the membrane via an identical channel. The permeability of the channel for K+ is about 10-20 times larger than for Na+. The ICs reversal potential of a fibre bathed in a medium containing 5.4 mM K is estimated to be -50 to -60 mV.