title: Effects of Rb and Cs on the electrogenic Na-pump in rabbit sinoatrial node cells.
abstract: The effects of Rb and Cs on the electrogenic Na-pump of the rabbit sinoatrial node cell were studied, using conventional microelectrode techniques. Hyperpolarizations induced by K or its substitutes were recorded from the preparations which were perfused previously with an extracellular K-free solution. The K-induced hyperpolarizations after K-depletion depended linearly on K-concentration in the range of 1.35 to 10.8 mM. When 2 mM Rb was used as an activator, a subthreshold oscillation appeared and the amplitude of the spontaneous action potentials in the Rb solution was larger than with the standard solution. As the concentration of Rb increased, the Rb-activated hyperpolarization increased, but the amplitude of the action potential decreased. In the case of Cs, the induced hyperpolarization was smaller than with K or Rb, and a transient recovery of pacemaker activity and gradual hyperpolarization preceded the true recovery in the standard solution. Since these hyperpolarization effects were not observed after the application of ouabain-containing K-free solution, the hyperpolarizations were considered to be electrogenic. A small hyperpolarization induced by activation of the external site of the Na-pump appears to be necessary for the immediate recovery of automatism from arrest at low resting potentials.
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D002586:Cesium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011188:Potassium / Q000494:pharmacology; D011817:Rabbits; D012413:Rubidium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012849:Sinoatrial Node / Q000502:physiology*; D012964:Sodium / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D002586:Cesium; D012964:Sodium; D012413:Rubidium; D011188:Potassium