title: Giga-seal formation alters properties of sodium channels of human myoballs.
abstract: The influence of giga-seal formation on the properties of the Na+ channels within the covered membrane patch was investigated with a whole-cell pipette and a patch pipette applied to the same cell. Current kinetics, current/voltage relation and channel densities were determined in three combinations: (i) voltage-clamping and current recording with the whole-cell pipette, (ii) voltage-clamping with the whole-cell pipette and current recording with the patch pipette and, (iii) voltage-clamping and current recording with the patch pipette. The Hodgkin-Huxley (1952) parameters tau m and tau h were smaller for the patch currents than for the whole cell, and the h infinity curve was shifted in the negative direction. The channel density was of the order of 10 times smaller. All effects were independent of the extracellular Ca2+ concentration. The capacitive current generated in the patch by the whole-cell Na+ current and its effect on the transmembrane voltage of the patch were evaluated. The kinetic parameters of the Na+ channels in the patch did not depend on whether the voltage was clamped with the whole-cell pipette or the patch pipette. Thus, the results are not due to spurious voltage.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Allgemeine Physiologie, Universität Ulm, Federal Republic of Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fahlke
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rüdel
mesh_terms: D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004594:Electrophysiology / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D015222:Sodium Channels; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D015222:Sodium Channels