External ions and membrane potential of leech neuropile glial cells

Abstract

In ion-substitution experiments supplemented by measurements of the membrane conductance, the membrane potential of neuropile glial (NG) cells in the CNS of th medicinal leech has exhibited a dependence of the external concentration of both potassium and chloride. The membrane potential was largely dependent on the external potassium concentration, as may be inferred from the change in potential as the potassium concentration of the bathing solution was changed. The external potassium concentrations had been corrected to allow for the discrepancy between intra- and extraganglionic levels found with ion-selective electrodes. A transient membrane depolarization was recorded when the chloride in the bathing medium was replaced by sulphate or glucuronate. The restoration of the normal membrane potential following the return to chloride-based saline was preceded by a transient hyperpolarization. After transfer to low-chloride solutions, the transient depolarization of the NG cell membrane was followed by a steady-state hyperpolarization. The amplitude of the steady-state hyperpolarization depended on the concentration of chloride in the bathing medium. The membrane conductance decreased in low-chloride solutions.