title: Osmolality influences bistability of membrane potential under hypokalemic conditions in mouse skeletal muscle: an experimental and theoretical study.
abstract: The membrane potential in mouse skeletal muscle depends on both extracellular osmolality and potassium concentration. These dependencies have been related to two membrane transporters, Na+/K+/2Cl- co-transporter and the inward potassium rectifier channel. To investigate the relation of the Na+/K+/2Cl- co-transporter and the inward potassium rectifier channel in a qualitative way, a combined electrophysiological and modelling approach was used. The experimental results show that the bistability of the membrane potential, which is related to the conductive state of the inward potassium rectifier channel, is shifted to higher extracellular potassium values when medium osmolality is increased. These results are confirmed by the computer simulation calculations for increased co-transporter flux. The combined results indicate that the co-transporter is capable of modulating the conductive state of the inward potassium rectifier channel.
authors.affiliation: Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Informatics, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands. foppen@science.uva.nl
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Geukes Foppen
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: van Mil
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Siegenbeek van Heukelom
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D051379:Mice; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D009994:Osmolar Concentration; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying / Q000378:metabolism; D028021:Sodium-Potassium-Chloride Symporters / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D024661:Potassium Channels, Inwardly Rectifying; D028021:Sodium-Potassium-Chloride Symporters; D011188:Potassium