The components of the sodium efflux in frog muscle

Abstract

1. In normal Ringer solution containing 2.5 mM-K only 37% of the efflux of labelled sodium from a freshly dissected frog muscle is blocked by treatment with ouabain; in sodium-loaded muscles the ouabain-sensitive fraction of the efflux increases to 75%.2. Under all conditions, the ouabain-insensitive component of the sodium efflux is markedly reduced if the sodium in the external medium is replaced by lithium; at least in sodium-loaded muscles, the ouabain-sensitive component is increased in lithium Ringer.3. Only the ouabain-sensitive component of the efflux is affected by the external potassium concentration.4. In the presence of 2.5 mM-K the sodium influx in a freshly dissected muscle is not significantly altered by ouabain, but in a K-free medium the influx and the efflux are both reduced by nearly 20%.5. The sodium efflux can therefore be regarded as consisting of (1) a sodium-potassium coupled component that is blocked by ouabain and involves a sodium-sodium exchange in the absence of external potassium, and (2) a potassium-insensitive component that is unaffected by ouabain and tends to reach saturation at relatively lower internal sodium concentrations.6. The evidence is considered for attributing component (1) to an efflux of sodium from the sarcoplasm proper, and component (2) to an efflux from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Although such an interpretation is consistent with many of the observations, a definite identification of the possible sodium compartments in frog muscle cannot yet be made.