title: Electrical properties of normal and transformed mammalian cells.
abstract: The transmembrane potential difference, Em, and DC membrane resistance were measured in 3T3 and polyoma virus-transformed 3T3 cells. Em was a function of cell density and was -12 and -25 mV for the normal and transformed cells, respectively. The external concentrations of K+, Na+, and Cl were varied in order to study the nature of the differences between the two cell types. The relative permeability of ions was calculated to be: PNa/PK, 1.0; PCl/PK, 1.88; PNa/PCl, 0.53 for 3T3 cells, and 0.27, 1.75, and 0.15 for the transformed cells. In contrast to the normal cells, PNa/PK varied as a function of the external K+ concentration for the transformed cells. It was emphasized that the manipulation of variables directly affecting the electrical properties of cells also involves the indirect manipulation of a network of interconnected physiological determinants.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000502:physiology*; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D004594:Electrophysiology; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D051379:Mice; D008839:Microelectrodes; D011120:Polyomavirus; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media