scholarly journals The relation between external potassium concentration and the relaxation rate of potassium-induced contractures in frog skeletal muscle

1966 ◽  
Vol 186 (2) ◽  
pp. 243-260 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. G. Foulks ◽  
Florence A. Perry
1972 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. C. Vos ◽  
G. B. Frank

A brief exposure (about 10–30 s) of a frog's toe muscle or a small bundle of fibers from the semi-tendinosus muscle to just subthreshold potassium concentrations potentiated contractures subsequently produced by exposing the muscles to a potassium concentration slightly above the threshold. The contractures thus potentiated had greater maximum tensions, and greater rates of tension development and relaxation than control contractures elicited by the same final potassium concentration. The resistance to stretch (R.T.S.) in the first few seconds of the potentiated contractures was about twice that of control contractures. Maximum potentiation occurred with preexposures of about 30 s; longer preexposures led to a decrease of potentiation and eventually to a depression of the contracture. The potentiation was not immediately abolished when the muscle was reexposed to Ringer solution but persisted for 2 min or longer (the 'washout effect'). It was concluded that exposing a muscle to low subcontracture threshold concentrations of potassium for a few seconds primes the intracellular contractile apparatus, probably by causing an increased sarcoplasmic concentration of Ca2+ ions, resulting in a potentiation of subsequently induced submaximal potassium contractures. The increase in metabolism (or 'Solandt effect') seen under these conditions is temporally related to the decline and eventual loss of the potentiation and is probably a reflection of active processes involved in reducing the sarcoplasmic concentration of Ca2+ ions.


1996 ◽  
Vol 270 (2) ◽  
pp. C411-C417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Jiang ◽  
J. D. Johnson ◽  
J. A. Rall

Inhibition of sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+)-adenosinetriphosphatase (ATPase) with 2,5-di-(tert-butyl)-1,4-benzohydroquinone (TBQ) in frog skeletal muscle fibers at 10 degrees C prolonged the half time of the fall of the Ca2+ transient by 62% and twitch force by 100% and increased peak force by 120% without increasing the amplitude of the Ca2+ signal. In the presence of TBQ the rate of relaxation and the rate of fall of Ca2+ became progressively slower in a series of twitches until relaxation failed. Relaxation rate decreased with a time course (approximately 2 s-1) similar to the Mg2+ off rate from purified parvalbumin (PA; 3.6 s-1). TBQ slowed the rate of fall of Ca2+ (5-fold) and force (8-fold) in a 0.3-s tetanus so that the rate of fall of Ca2+ (approximately 2.5 s-1) was similar to the Mg2+ off rate from PA. TBQ caused a near total failure of both Ca2+ sequestration and relaxation in a 1.1-s tetanus, during which PA would be saturated with Ca2+ and could not contribute to relaxation. Thus, when the SR Ca(2+)-ATPase is inhibited, Mg(2+)-PA can sequester Ca2+ and produce relaxation at a rate that is defined by the Mg2+ off rate from PA.


1982 ◽  
Vol 243 (1) ◽  
pp. C87-C95 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Erlij ◽  
W. K. Shen ◽  
P. Reinach ◽  
H. Schoen

We have examined the effects of dantrolene and D2O on the K+-stimulated respiration in frog skeletal muscle. The threshold for K+ stimulation was around 10 mM extracellular potassium concentration ([K+]o). A further marked increase in respiration to levels about ten times the resting level was noted when [K+]o was between 15 and 20 mM. The increase was sustained for hours when [K+]o was less than 20 mM; however, with higher concentrations the stimulation consisted of an initial burst followed by a decline. Dantrolene shifted the relationship between [K+]o and peak increase in respiration toward higher [K+]o by about 10 mM; in addition it nearly completely blocked the sustained component of the increase. D2O, nearly abolished the K+-induced respiration. Neither agent shifted the relationship between [K+]o and membrane potential nor abolished the stimulation of respiration caused by caffeine. Dantrolene did not block the stimulation of Na+ efflux caused by 15 mM K+. The results with these agents are consistent with the proposal that K+-stimulated respiration is due to Ca2+ release into the cytoplasm. In addition, they provide evidence that the stimulated rate of Ca2+ release into the cytoplasm can remain at a persistently high level for hours provided [K+]o does not exceed 20 mM. We calculated that the level of this constant Ca2+ release is about 3.4 X 10(16) ions/(s.cm3).


1973 ◽  
Vol 51 (5) ◽  
pp. 324-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. G. Foulks ◽  
J. A. D. Miller ◽  
Florence A. Perry

In solutions containing perchlorate in place of chloride frog toe muscles or small bundles of semitendinosus fibers undergo maximum potassium (K) contractures of long duration at low [K]0 (5–10 mM). After relaxation at high [K]0, large protracted "reactivation" contractures (70–90% of maximum tension) again develop when repolarization is accomplished by a reduction of [K]0 to 2.5–10 mM. Somewhat smaller contractures also appear during repolarization at lower perchlorate concentrations (8–12 mM). The effects of perchlorate include disproportionate shifts in the relation between log [K]0 and K-contracture tension, and between log [K]0 and relaxation rate. Similar but smaller effects are observed in the presence of 1 mM caffeine or 1.5 mM chloroform. These observations implicate at least two potential-dependent processes in the regulation of contraction in frog twitch muscle.


Author(s):  
Joachim R. Sommer ◽  
Nancy R. Wallace

After Howell (1) had shown that ruthenium red treatment of fixed frog skeletal muscle caused collapse of the intermediate cisternae of the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR), forming a pentalaminate structure by obi iterating the SR lumen, we demonstrated that the phenomenon involves the entire SR including the nuclear envelope and that it also occurs after treatment with other cations, including calcium (2,3,4).From these observations we have formulated a hypothesis which states that intracellular calcium taken up by the SR at the end of contraction causes the M rete to collapse at a certain threshold concentration as the first step in a subsequent centrifugal zippering of the free SR toward the junctional SR (JSR). This would cause a) bulk transport of SR contents, such as calcium and granular material (4) into the JSR and, b) electrical isolation of the free SR from the JSR.


Author(s):  
A. V. Somlyo ◽  
H. Shuman ◽  
A. P. Somlyo

Electron probe analysis of frozen dried cryosections of frog skeletal muscle, rabbit vascular smooth muscle and of isolated, hyperpermeab1 e rabbit cardiac myocytes has been used to determine the composition of the cytoplasm and organelles in the resting state as well as during contraction. The concentration of elements within the organelles reflects the permeabilities of the organelle membranes to the cytoplasmic ions as well as binding sites. The measurements of [Ca] in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) and mitochondria at rest and during contraction, have direct bearing on their role as release and/or storage sites for Ca in situ.


1990 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 863-868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Péter P. Nánási ◽  
Tamás Kiss ◽  
Miklós Dankó ◽  
David A. Lathrop

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