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The effects of drugs and ions on melanophore pigment movements and transmembrane potentials of stoneloach (Noemacheilus)

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Summary

  1. 1.

    Potassium chloride solution produced aggregation of the melanophore pigment in split fin preparations from the stoneloach (Noemacheilus barbatulus L.) which could be reversed when the solution was replaced by Young's Ringer solution (Fig. 1). The pigment became progressively more aggregated as the potassium ion concentration increased. This aggregation could be blocked by yohimbine (Fig. 2) and bretylium suggesting that it may be mediated through the release of transmitter from nerve endings.

  2. 2.

    Tetrodotoxin had no effect on the aggregation response to adrenaline or on the dispersion response to yohimbine, suggesting that TTX-sensitive sodium channels are not involved in the movement of pigment granules.

  3. 3.

    Removal of calcium ions from the solution by EGTA abolished the aggregation response to KCl and inhibited the aggregation response to adrenaline (Fig. 3) and the dispersion response to yohimbine.

  4. 4.

    Substitution of acetate ions for chloride ions in Young's Ringer solution had no effect on the aggregation response to adrenaline or the dispersion response to a subsequent application of an adrenaline-free Ringer solution.

  5. 5.

    Adrenaline bitartrate produced a uniform rapid aggregation at high concentrations. A more variable response was obtained at lower concentrations (Fig. 4).

  6. 6.

    Yohimbine hydrochloride and atropine sulphate both produced dispersion (Fig. 5).

  7. 7.

    Acetylcholine appears to play no part in pigment dispersion.

  8. 8.

    Melanophore potential records (Fig. 7) showed an electrophoretic gradient from the centrosphere to the periphery along the processes of the melanophore. The sum of the centrosphere and periphery potentials remained nearly constant, although the potentials themselves varied with the position of the pigment (Table 1).

  9. 9.

    Application of the Nernst equation to changes in the external K+ concentration produced a regression line with a slope of 47 and its intercept predicted an intracellular K+ concentration of 242 mmol/l. When the aggregation of the pigment also produced was blocked by yohimbine the slope of the regression line was 59 and the predicted intracellular potassium concentration 165 mmol/l (Fig. 8).

  10. 10.

    Sodium ions also contributed to the transmembrane potential (Table 2).

  11. 11.

    Increasing extracellular calcium produced hyperpolarisation while decreasing it produced depolarisation. The effects of substituting various ions for calcium ions were also tested (Table 3).

  12. 12.

    Substitution of sulphate for chloride ions produced a depolarisation of the centrosphere potential. However, the use of acetate for substitution produced no such depolarisation (Table 4).

  13. 13.

    Ouabain produced depolarisation of the centrosphere and aggregation of melanophore pigment. Ouabain also inhibited the dispersion response to yohimbine.

  14. 14.

    Colchicine and vinblastine both produced a slight depolarisation of the cell centrosphere of dispersed cells, although the potential at the periphery appeared unaffected (Table 5). Further, cells aggregated in KCl or adrenaline bitartrate were unable to maintain their aggregation in the presence of colchicine. Colchicine also inhibited the aggregation response to adrenaline (Fig. 6) and promoted the redispersion response to the subsequent application of adrenaline-free Young's Ringer solution.

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Abbreviations

Em :

transmembrane potential

M.I. :

Melanophore Index

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  1. C. S. Collis

    Present address: Sherrington School of Physiology, St. Thomas's Hospital Medical School, Lamberth Palace Road, SEI 7EH, London, England

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  1. Department of Zoology, Bedford College, University of London, Regent's Park, NW1 4NS, London, England

    C. S. Collis

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Collis, C.S. The effects of drugs and ions on melanophore pigment movements and transmembrane potentials of stoneloach (Noemacheilus). J. Comp. Physiol. 154, 121–132 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00605397

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