title: Electrophysiology of cultured human lens epithelial cells.
abstract: The lens epithelial K+ conductance plays a key role in maintaining the lens ionic steady state. The specific channels responsible for this conductance are unknown. We used cultured lens epithelia and patch-clamp technology to address this problem. Human lens epithelial explants were cultured and after 1-4 passages were dissociated and used in this study. The cells from which we measured had a mean diameter of 31 +/- 1 microns (SEM, n = 26). The resting voltage was -19 +/- 4 mV (SEM, n = 10) and the input resistance was 2.5 +/- 0.5 G omega (SEM, n = 17) at -60 mV. Two currents were prominent in whole-cell recordings. An outwardly rectifying current was seen in nearly every cell. The magnitude of this current was a function of K+ concentration and was blocked by 3 mM tetraethylammonium. The instantaneous current-voltage relationship was linear in symmetric K+, implying that the outward rectification was due to gating. The current showed complex activation and inactivation kinetics. The second current seen was a transient inward current. This current had kinetics very similar to the traditional Na+ current of excitable cells and was blocked by 0.1 microM tetrodotoxin. In single-channel recordings, a 150-pS K+ channel and a 35-pS nonselective cation channel were seen but neither account for the macroscopic currents measured.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gates
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Rae
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dewey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015640:Ion Channel Gating; D007700:Kinetics; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000378:metabolism*; D012964:Sodium / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015221:Potassium Channels; D012964:Sodium; D011188:Potassium