scholarly journals Capacitance of the Surface and Transverse Tubular Membrane of Frog Sartorius Muscle Fibers

1969 ◽  
Vol 53 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter W. Gage ◽  
Robert S. Eisenberg

The passive electrical properties of glycerol-treated muscle fibers, which have virtually no transverse tubules, were determined. Current was passed through one intracellular microelectrode and the time course and spatial distribution of the resulting potential displacement measured with another. The results were analyzed by using conventional cable equations. The membrane resistance of fibers without tubules was 3759 ± 331 ohm-cm2 and the internal resistivity 192 ohm-cm. Both these figures are essentially the same as those found in normal muscle fibers. The capacitance of the fibers without tubules is strikingly smaller than normal, being 2.24 ± 0.14 µF/cm2. Measurements were also made of the passive electrical properties of fibers in a Ringer solution containing 400 mM glycerol (which is used in the preparation of glycerol-treated fibers). The membrane resistance and capacitance are essentially normal, but the internal resistivity is somewhat reduced. These results show that glycerol in this concentration does not directly affect the membrane capacitance. Thus, the figure for the capacitance of glycerol-treated fibers, which agrees well with previous estimates made by different techniques, represents the capacitance of the outer membrane of the fiber. Estimates of the capacitance per unit area of the tubular membrane are made and the significance of the difference between the figures for the capacitance of the surface and tubular membrane is discussed.

1986 ◽  
Vol 55 (5) ◽  
pp. 947-965 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Foehring ◽  
G. W. Sypert ◽  
J. B. Munson

This study tested the hypothesis that functional connection to muscle is necessary for expression of normal motoneuron electrical properties. Also examined was the time course of self-reinnervation. Properties of individual medial gastrocnemius (MG) motor units were examined following section and reanastomosis of the MG nerve. Stages examined were 3-5 wk (prior to reinnervation, no-re), 5-6 wk (low-re), 9-10 wk (med-re), and 9 mo (long-re, preceding paper) after nerve section. Motor units were classified on the basis of their mechanical response as type fast twitch, fast fatiguing (FF), fast twitch with intermediate fatigue resistance (FI), fast twitch, fatigue resistant (FR), or slow twitch, fatigue resistant (S) (11, 24). Motoneuron electrical properties were measured. Muscle fibers were classified using histochemical methods as type fast glycolytic (FG), fast oxidative glycolytic (FOG), or slow oxidative (SO) (60). Prior to functional reinnervation, MG motoneurons exhibited increased input resistance, decreased rheobase, decreased rheobase/input resistance, and decreased axonal conduction velocity. There was no change in mean afterhyperpolarization (AHP) half-decay time. Normal relationships between motoneuron electrical properties were lost. These data are consistent with dedifferentiation of motoneuron properties following axotomy (35, 47). At 5-6 wk after reanastomosis, motor-unit tensions were small, and motoneuron membrane electrical properties were unchanged from the no-re stage. There were no differences in motoneuron electrical properties between cells that elicited muscle contraction and those that did not. Motor-unit types were first recognizable at the med-re stage. The proportions of fast and slow motor units were similar to normal MG. Within the fast units, there were fewer type-FF units and more type-FI and type-FR units than normal, reflecting a general increase in fatigue resistance at this stage. Neither motoneuron membrane electrical properties nor muscle contractile properties had reached normal values, although both were changed in that direction from the low-re stage. Normal relationships between muscle properties, between motoneuron properties, and between motoneuron and muscle properties were re-established. The correspondence between motor-unit type and motoneuron type was similar to normal or 9 mo reinnervated MG. Muscle-unit tetanic tensions became larger with time after reinnervation. Most of the increase in muscle tension beyond the med-re stage could be accounted for by increase in muscle fiber area. There was an increased proportion of SO muscle fibers observed in the med-re muscles, as at the long-re stage.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


1974 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shigehiro Nakajima ◽  
Joseph Bastian

Passive electrical properties (internal conductance, membrane conductance, low frequency capacity, and high frequency capacity obtained from the foot of the action potential) of normal and glycerol-treated muscle of Xenopus were determined with the intracellular microelectrode technique. The results show that the electrical properties of Xenopus muscle are essentially the same as those of frog muscle. Characteristics of the action potential of Xenopus muscle were also similar to those of frog muscle. Twitch tension of glycerol-treated muscle fibers of Xenopus recovered partially when left in normal Ringer for a long time (more than 6 h). Along with the twitch recovery, the membrane capacity increased. Single isolated muscle fibers of Xenopus were subjected to the double sucrose-gap technique. Action potentials under the sucrose gap were not very different from those obtained with the intracellular electrode, except for the sucrose-gap hyperpolarization and a slight tendency toward prolongation of the shape of action potential. Twitch contraction of the artificial node was recorded as a change of force from one end of the fiber under the sucrose gap. From the time-course of the recorded force and the sinusoidal stress-strain relationship at varying frequencies of the resting muscle fiber, the time-course of isotonic shortening of the node was recovered by using Fourier analysis. It was revealed that the recorded twitch force can approximately be regarded as isotonic shortening of the node.


1939 ◽  
Vol 22 (5) ◽  
pp. 567-591 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rita Guttman

1. The effect of certain inorganic cations upon the electrical impedance of the sartorius muscle of the frog was investigated. While Na, K, and Mg have little effect upon the resistance of muscle, Ba and Ca cause it to fall. The use of physiologically "unbalanced" salt solution does not in itself seem to affect muscle impedance. 2. The time course of the effect upon muscle impedance of the penetration of substances into the intercellular spaces was studied by treating the muscle with sugar solutions. Half of the effect is over in three-quarters of a minute when the sugar solution is permitted to circulate past both sides of the muscle. This sets an upper limit for the time necessary for inorganic cations and organic narcotics to reach the cell surfaces. The action of inorganic cations and organic narcotics upon muscle is slow compared to the time necessary for them to reach the scene of action. The penetration of the sugar solutions into the intercellular spaces of muscle was found to follow the well known diffusion law, the amount diffusing in being proportional to the square root of the time. Average values of 77.7 per cent for ρ, the volume concentration of fibers; 231 ohms specific resistance for r2, the resistance of the interior of the fibers; and 71.0° for θ, the phase angle of the impedance locus, were obtained for the muscle in Ringer's solution. How these values change when the muscle is placed in various concentrations of sugar was also studied. 3. The action of a number of organic narcotics upon muscle was studied. All decrease 1000 cycle resistance if the concentration is sufficiently high. A detailed analysis of the action of the narcotic, iso-amyl carbamate, was made, and it was noted that low concentrations increase resistance while higher concentrations decrease it. By investigating the effect of narcotics upon muscle impedance over a wide frequency range, it was found that during narcosis the resistance of the fiber membranes first increases and then decreases, and, if the drug is present in sufficiently great concentration, membrane resistance may completely disappear. Membrane capacity is only very slightly affected.


1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (5) ◽  
pp. 3442-3450 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. N. Wright ◽  
B. L. Bardakjian ◽  
T. A. Valiante ◽  
J. L. Perez-Velazquez ◽  
P. L. Carlen

1. The passive electrical properties of whole cell patched dentate granule cells were studied with the use of zero-mean Gaussian white noise current stimuli. Transmembrane voltage responses were used to compute the first-order Wiener kernels describing the current-voltage relationship at the soma for six cells. Frequency domain optimization techniques using a gradient method for function minimization were then employed to identify the optimal electrical parameter values. Low-power white noise stimuli are presented as a favorable alternative to the use of short-pulse current inputs for investigating neuronal passive electrical properties. 2. The optimization results demonstrated that the lumped resistive and capacitive properties of the recording electrode must be included in the analytic input impedance expression to optimally fit the measured cellular responses. The addition of the electrode resistance (Re) and capacitance (Ce) to the original parameters (somatic conductance, somatic capacitance, axial resistance, dendritic conductance, and dendritic capacitance) results in a seven-parameter model. The mean Ce value from the six cells was 5.4 +/- 0.3 (SE) pF, whereas Re following formation of the patch was found to be 20 +/- 2 M omega. 3. The six dentate granule cells were found to have an input resistance of 600 +/- 20 M omega and a dendritic to somatic conductance ratio of 6.3 +/- 1.1. The electronic length of the equivalent dendritic cylinder was found to be 0.42 +/- 0.03. The membrane time constant in the soma was found to be 13 +/- 3 ms, whereas the membrane time constant of the dendrites was 58 +/- 5 ms. Incorporation of morphological estimations led to the following distributed electrical parameters: somatic membrane resistance = 25 +/- 4 k omega cm2, somatic membrane capacitance = 0.48 +/- 0.05 microF/cm2, Ri (input resistance) = 72 +/- 5 omega cm, dendritic membrane resistance = 59 +/- 4 k omega cm2, and dendritic membrane capacitance = 0.97 +/- 0.06 microF/cm2. On the basis of capacitive measurements, the ratio of dendritic surface area to somatic surface area was found to be 34 +/- 2. 4. For comparative purposes, hyperpolarizing short pulses were also injected into each cell. The short-pulse input impedance measurements were found to underestimate the input resistance of the cell and to overestimate both the somatic conductance and the membrane time constants relative to the white noise input impedance measurements.


1997 ◽  
Vol 272 (1) ◽  
pp. C333-C340 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. De Luca ◽  
S. Pierno ◽  
D. C. Camerino

The membrane electrical properties of diaphragm and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle fibers of dystrophic mdx and control mice from 4 wk to 14-19 mo of age were recorded with the intracellular microelectrode technique. Up to 8 wk of age, the diaphragm and EDL muscles did not differ between the two strains. From 8 up to 20 wk, the mdx diaphragm fibers showed a higher membrane resistance (Rm), which was due to significantly lower values of resting chloride conductance (GCl) and an overexcitability with respect to age-matched controls. Oppositely, the mdx EDL muscle fibers had significantly lower Rm and higher GCl values than age-related controls at 8, 10, and 13 wk, along with a decreased membrane excitability. These differences were no longer detectable at 20 wk. The diaphragm and EDL muscles from 14- to 19-mo-old controls showed a decrease of GCl and an increase of potassium conductance with respect to adult animals. In aged mdx animals, these changes were very dramatic in diaphragm fibers, whereas no differences, with respect to adults, were found in the EDL muscle. Thus GCl is an index of the dystrophic condition of mdx muscles. In the degenerating diaphragm, the impairment of GCl can account for some of the pathological features of the muscle. In the EDL muscle, the changes of GCl can follow the high regenerative potential of the hindlimb muscles of the mdx phenotype.


1966 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 963-976 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur A. Manthey

Desensitization, as represented by the progressive decline in the electromotive effects of depolarizing agents at the neuromuscular junction, was studied by observing the time course of changes in effective transmembrane resistance during the prolonged application of 0.27 mM carbamylcholine to the postjunctional region of frog skeletal muscle fibers. The effective transmembrane resistance was measured by means of two intracellular microelectrodes implanted in the junctional region of single muscle fibers. When carbamylcholine was applied to the muscle there was an immediate decrease in the effective membrane resistance followed by a slower return toward control values which was identified as the phase of desensitization. When the calcium concentration was increased from 0 to 10 mM there was an approximately sevenfold increase in the rate of desensitization. On the other hand, an increase in the concentration of sodium from 28 to 120 mM caused a slowing of the rate of desensitization. Even in muscles depolarized by potassium sulfate, calcium increased the rate of desensitization while high concentrations of potassium tended to prolong the process. Some mechanisms by which calcium might exert these effects are discussed.


1972 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 221-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Sevcik ◽  
Toshio Narahashi

The contractility of the frog sartorius muscle was suppressed after treatment with a Ringer solution added with ethylene glycol (EGR). No contraction was elicited by nerve stimulation when the muscle was brought back to normal Ringer solution after having been soaked in 876 mM EGR for 4 hr or in 1095 mM EGR for 2 hr. However, the action potential of normal amplitude was generated and followed by a depolarizing afterpotential. The resting membrane potential was slightly decreased from the mean normal value of –91.1 mv to –78.8 mv when 1095 mM EGR was used, and to –82.3 mv when 876 mM EGR was used, but remained almost constant for as long as 2 hr. The afterpotential that follows a train of impulses and a slow change in membrane potential produced by a step hyperpolarizing current (so-called "creep") were suppressed after treatment with ethylene glycol. The specific membrane capacity decreased to about 50% of the control values while the specific membrane resistance increased to about twice the control values Therefore, the membrane time constant remained essentially unchanged. The water content of the muscle decreased by about 30% during a 2 hr immersion in 1095 mM EGR, and increased by about 30% beyond the original control level after bringing the muscle back to normal Ringer. The intracellular potassium content did not change significantly during these procedures. Some differences between the present results and those obtained with glycerol are discussed.


1968 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 451-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Eisenberg ◽  
Robert S. Eisenberg

Skeletal muscles which have been soaked for 1 hr in a glycerol-Ringer solution and then returned to normal Ringer solution have a disrupted sarcotubular system. The effect is associated with the return to Ringer's since muscles have normal fine structure while still in glycerol-Ringer's. Karnovsky's peroxidase method was found to be a very reliable marker of extracellular space, filling 98.5% of the tubules in normal muscle. It was interesting to note that only 84.1% of the sarcomeres in normal muscle have transverse tubules. The sarcotubular system was essentially absent from glycerol-treated muscle fibers, only 2 % of the tubular system remaining connected to the extracellular space; the intact remnants were stumps extending only a few micra into the fiber. Thus, glycerol-treated muscle fibers provide a preparation of skeletal muscle with little sarcotubular system. Since the sarcoplasmic reticulum is not destroyed and the sarcolemma and myofilaments are intact in this preparation, of the properties of the sarcolemma may thus be separated from those of the tubular system.


1966 ◽  
Vol 49 (5) ◽  
pp. 897-912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Otto Schanne ◽  
Hiroshi Kawata ◽  
Bärbel Schäfer ◽  
Marc Lavallée

Four different methods of measuring the resistance of a muscle fiber have been applied to the frog sartorius muscle. The methods, in which the resistance of the microelectrode entered the calculation of the effective resistance of the fiber, resulted in values which were 8 times higher than the resistance values obtained with methods independent of the electrode resistance. A simple cable model of a muscle fiber could not account for the discrepancy in the effective resistance found in these measurements; therefore, an enlarged cable model for a muscle fiber has been proposed, and its biological implications have been discussed. The effective resistance (measured with the two different groups of methods) decreased when the potassium concentration in the bath increased. Using the proposed enlarged cable model for the interpretation of these results, it is shown that not only the membrane resistance but also the myoplasmic resistance decreases with an increasing potassium concentration in the Ringer solution.


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