scholarly journals The effects of acidosis and bicarbonate on action potential repolarization in canine cardiac Purkinje fibers.

1979 ◽  
Vol 73 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
K W Spitzer ◽  
P M Hogan

Studies were performed on canine cardiac Purkinje fibers to evaluate the effects of acidosis and bicarbonate (HCO3) on action potential repolarization. Extracellular pH (pHe) was reduced from 7.4 to 6.8 by increasing carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration from 4 to 15% in a HCO3-buffered solution or by NaOH titration in a Hepes-buffered solution. Both types of acidosis produced a slowing of the rate of terminal repolarization (i.e., period of repolarization starting at about -60 mV and ending at the maximum diastolic potential) with an attendant increase in action potential duration of 10--20 ms. This was accompanied by a reduction in the maximum diastolic potential of 2--8 mV. In contrast, if the same pH change was made by keeping CO2 concentration constant and lowering extracellular HCO3 from 23.7 to 6.0 mM, in addition to the slowing of terminal repolarization, the plateau was markedly prolonged resulting in an additional 50- to 80-ms increase in action potential duration. If pHe was held constant at 7.4 and HCO3 reduced from 23.7 mM to 0 (Hepes-buffered solution), the changes in repolarization were nearly identical to those seen in 6.0 mM HCO3 except that terminal repolarization was unchanged. This response was unaltered by doubling the concentration of Hepes. Reducing HCO3 to 12.0 mM produced changes in repolarization of about one-half the magnitude of those in 6.0 mM HCO3. These findings suggest that in Purkinje fibers, HCO3 either acts as a current that slows repolarization or modulates the ionic currents responsible for repolarization.

1980 ◽  
Vol 238 (2) ◽  
pp. H237-H243
Author(s):  
S. L. Lipsius ◽  
W. R. Gibbons

The effect of acetylcholine (ACh) on the electrical activity of sheep cardiac Purkinje fibers was studied using standard microelectrode techniques. Most fibers showed a definite sequence of changes when exposed to ACh. Initially, action potential duration (APD) increased markedly. After about 20 s, the maximum diastolic potential (MDP) started to become more negative and, at the same time, the rate of increase in APD slowed. Once the MDP stabilized at a more negative level, the APD usually resumed its rapid increase. ACh also increased the slope of diastolic depolarization and made the plateau voltage more positive. APD was increased by ACh concentrations as low as 10(-7) M, and it increased with concentrations up to 10(-5) M (the highest concentration tested). ACh-induced increases in APD depended on the stimulation frequency; 2-min exposures to 10(-6) M ACh increased APD by 76.8 +/- 14.7% at 6 min-1 and 17.7 +/- 4.2% at 60 min-1. Atropine blocked all the effects of ACh. Hexamethonium did not prevent the ACh effects. It is concluded that ACh acts via muscarinic receptors. The changes in APD and MDP appear to be separate events, and it is difficult to see how the former effect may be explained by known actions of ACh.


1995 ◽  
Vol 82 (3) ◽  
pp. 713-722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juraj Sprung ◽  
Adam Laszlo ◽  
Lawrence Turner ◽  
John Kampine ◽  
Zeljko Bosnjak

Background Hypothermia may induce hypokalemia and increase intracellular Ca2+ by affecting serum K+ and Ca2+ fluxes across the cell membrane. These ionic alterations may significantly change the electrophysiologic characteristics of the cardiac action potential and may induce cardiac arrhythmias. The current study was undertaken to determine whether electrophysiologic changes in Purkinje fibers induced by hypothermia could be reversed by manipulating the extracellular K+ and transmembrane Ca2+ fluxes by Ca2+ channel blockade with verapamil. Methods A conventional microelectrode method was used to determine the effects of hypothermia (32 +/- 0.5 degrees C and 28 +/- 0.5 degrees C) and various external K+ concentrations ([K+]o) (2.3, 3.8, and 6.8 mM) on maximum diastolic potential, maximum rate of phase 0 depolarization (Vmax), and action potential duration (APD) at 50% (APD50) and at 95% (APD95) repolarization in isolated canine cardiac Purkinje fibers. To evaluate the contribution of the slow inward Ca2+ current to action potential changes in hypothermia, the experiments were repeated in the presence of the Ca(2+)-channel antagonist verapamil (1 microM). Results Variations of [K+]o induced the expected shifts in maximum diastolic potential, and hypothermia (28 degrees C) induced moderate depolarization, but only when [K+]o was > or = 3.9 mM (P < 0.05). Hypothermia decreased Vmax at all [K+]o studied (P < 0.05). Regardless of the temperature, Vmax was not affected by verapamil when [K+]o was < or = 3.9 mM, but at 6.8 mM [K+]o in hypothermia Vmax was significantly lower in the presence of verapamil. Hypothermia increased both the APD50 and the APD95. The effects of verapamil on APD were temperature and [K+]o dependent; between 37 degrees C and 28 degrees C with 2.3 mM [K+]o in the superfusate, verapamil did not affect APD. At 28 degrees C in the presence of verapamil, the APD50 and APD95 decreased only if the [K+]o was > or = 3.9 mM. Conclusions Verapamil and K+ supplementation in hypothermia may exert an antiarrhythmic effect, primarily by reducing the dispersion fo prolonged APD.


1990 ◽  
Vol 258 (4) ◽  
pp. C713-C722 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. W. Chae ◽  
D. Y. Wang ◽  
Q. Y. Gong ◽  
C. O. Lee

Effects of norepinephrine and Ca+ on Na(+)-K+ pump and pacemaker current were investigated by simultaneous measurement of intracellular Na+ activity (aiNa) and membrane potential in driven (1 Hz) and quiescent sheep cardiac Purkinje fibers. Concurrently, twitch force was measured in driven fibers, in which norepinephrine (NE) produced a decrease in aiNa, a prolongation in action potential duration, and a hyperpolarization in diastolic membrane potential, Vdm. In contrast, in quiescent fibers, NE produced an increase in aiNa and a depolarization in resting membrane potential, Vm. The decrease in aiNa, prolongation in action potential duration, and hyperpolarization in Vdm produced by NE were blocked by 5 x 10(-6) M strophanthidin, presumably through inhibition of the Na(+)-K+ pump. The increase in aiNa and membrane depolarization caused by NE were abolished by high [K+]o or Cs+, presumably through inhibition of the pacemaker current, if. These results indicate that in driven fibers NE stimulates predominantly the Na(+)-K+ pump, producing a decrease in aiNa and that in quiescent fibers it increases predominantly if, producing an increase in aiNa. The effect of NE on driven and quiescent fibers differs because of the voltage dependence of if and perhaps the Na(+)-K+ pump. Consequently, the relative magnitude of the two opposing effects of NE on aiNa appears to be dependent on membrane potential. In quiescent fibers, Cs+ monotonically decreased aiNa to a steady-state value, while Cs+ hyperpolarized membrane potential and then slowly depolarized to a steady-state level, producing a transient hyperpolarization. In driven fibers, Cs+ decreased aiNa, shortened action potential duration, and depolarized Vdm. Cs+ decreased aiNa more in quiescent fibers than in driven fibers. The decrease in aiNa and hyperpolarization in membrane potential produced by Cs+ in quiescent fibers were abolished by depolarization induced by high K+ extracellular concentration (25.4 mM) but were not abolished or reduced by 5 x 10(-6) M strophanthidin. These results suggest that the decrease in aiNa and hyperpolarization in membrane potential by Cs+ are caused by blockage of if but not by stimulation of the Na(+)-K+ pump and that if is an important source of Na+ loading into cells.


1984 ◽  
Vol 247 (6) ◽  
pp. H936-H945 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Elharrar ◽  
H. Atarashi ◽  
B. Surawicz

We studied the effects of pharmacologic probes that affect predominantly the Na inward current [tetrodotoxin (TTX), lidocaine], the slow inward current [cobalt, isoproterenol, verapamil], and the potassium currents [tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA), SG-75] on the duration of the action potential (APD) of canine cardiac Purkinje fibers during steady state and restitution. A schema is proposed in which the APD during steady state or restitution is determined by three factors: maximum action potential duration (APDmax), kinetics of restitution, and “memory.” The predicted APDmax was 469 +/- 34 (SE) ms (n = 27) in control. It was prolonged (P less than 0.05) by cobalt, verapamil, and TEA and shortened (P less than 0.05) by TTX, lidocaine, isoproterenol, and SG-75. In control, the kinetics of restitution were described by a sum of two exponentials with time constant T1 = 137 +/- 9 ms and T2 = 1,665 +/- 135 ms (n = 27), respectively. T1 was prolonged (P less than 0.05) by TTX, lidocaine, and verapamil but was not changed by other probes. None of the probes studied altered the T2 of restitution or the memory factor, computed at a cycle length of 500 ms from the predicted APDmax and the plateau of restitution. Low temperature (31 degrees C) prolonged APDmax and T1 and reduced the memory. We conclude that each of the proposed three factors is controlled by different mechanisms and that a TTX-sensitive current appears to contribute to the process of restitution of APD.


1985 ◽  
Vol 249 (4) ◽  
pp. H735-H740 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. F. Gilmour ◽  
D. P. Zipes

The purpose of this study was to investigate possible mechanisms to explain the positive inotropic effects of acetylcholine in canine cardiac Purkinje fibers. Action potentials and tension were recorded from Purkinje fibers in vitro using microelectrodes and a force transducer. Acetylcholine (10(-9) to 10(-4) M) produced a dose-dependent increase in tension that was blocked by atropine but not by propranolol, phentolamine, hexamethonium, or verapamil. At 10(-5) and 10(-4) M, acetylcholine increased action potential duration at 50% of repolarization (APD50) but did not affect resting membrane potential, action potential amplitude, Vmax, or action potential duration at 90% of repolarization (APD90). Isoproterenol (10(-7) M) shortened APD50 and APD90 and increased developed tension. Subsequent addition of acetylcholine (10(-5) M) prolonged APD50 and APD90 and decreased tension. Increasing extracellular Ca2+ concentration [( Ca2+]o) from 2.0 to 3.0 mM increased tension and shortened APD50. Addition of acetylcholine (10(-5) M) increased tension further and prolonged APD50. In K+-depolarized fibers high concentrations of acetylcholine (10(-4) M) restored excitability, but lower concentrations (10(-6) M) suppressed slow responses induced by isoproterenol. Thus acetylcholine alone or with elevated [Ca2+]o increased APD50 and tension and facilitated the induction of slow responses, yet in the presence of isoproterenol acetylcholine increased APD50, decreased tension, and suppressed slow responses. These effects were mediated by muscarinic receptors and were independent of catecholamine release.


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