title: Background K+ current in isolated canine cardiac Purkinje myocytes.
abstract: The current-voltage (I-V) relation of the background current, IK1, was studied in isolated canine cardiac Purkinje myocytes using the whole-cell, patch-clamp technique. Since Ba2+ and Cs+ block IK1, these cations were used to separate the I-V relation of IK1 from that of the whole cell. The I-V relation of IK1 was measured as the difference between the I-V relations of the cell in normal Tyrode (control solution) and in the presence of either Ba2+ (1 mM) or Cs+ (10 mM). Our results indicate that IK1 is an inwardly rectifying K+ current whose conductance depends on extracellular potassium concentration. In different [K+]0's the I-V relations of IK1 exhibit crossover. In addition the I-V relation of IK1 contains a region of negative slope (even when that of the whole cell does not). We also examined the relationship between the resting potential of the myocyte, Vm, and [K+]0 and found that it exhibits the characteristic anomalous behavior first reported in Purkinje strands (Weidmann, S., 1956, Elektrophysiologie der Herzmuskelfaser, Med. Verlag H. Huber), where lowering [K+]0 below 4 mM results in a depolarization.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001464:Barium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002586:Cesium / Q000494:pharmacology; D004285:Dogs; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D006329:Heart Conduction System / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology; D011690:Purkinje Fibers / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007473:Ion Channels; D002586:Cesium; D001464:Barium; D011188:Potassium