[TEA-resistant outward current in the somatic membrane of perfused nerve cells]

Abstract

The outward currents remaining after addition of 20-50 mM tetraethylammonium (TEA) to the extracellular solution were studied on perfused isolated neurons from Helix pomatia. A potassium-carried noninactivating outward current with potential-dependence and kinetics different from those of TEA-sensitive potassium currents was found. This TEA-resistant current includes a component depending on the presence of the inward calcium current. It could be abolished by replacing extracellular calcium by magnesium ions, by blocking the calcium channels with extracellular cadmium ions and their distruction by intracellular fluorid ions. An increase in the level of intracellular free carcium (by perfusing the cell with solutions containing Ca-EGTA buffer) potentiated the TEA-resistant component of the outward current and the removal of free calcium by EGTA decreased it. A conclusion is made that the somatic membrane contains outward current channels which can be activated only when calcium ions are bound to its inner surface.