Summary
1. The experiments were carried out on single Ranvier nodes of Xenopus laevis. The influence of tetraethylammonium chloride (TEA) on the membrane currents was studied under voltage clamp conditions. The node under investigation was continuously superfused with the test solutions.
2. 5 mM TEA reduced the delayed currents (i.e. the potassium outward current I K and the non-specific current I p) to almost zero. The effect was fully reversible. The peak sodium current I Na and the leakage current I L were barely influenced.
3. The delayed potassium inward current seen with high external potassium concentrations was also eliminated by 5 mM TEA.
4. 0.3 mM TEA reduced I K to about two thirds of its normal value and delayed the onset of the potassium outward current. The time constant determining the change of potassium permeability was reversibly increased by a factor of 1.7.
5. The effect of TEA on the kinetics of the sodium system was comparatively small. 5 mM TEA altered the time constants for the turning on and for the inactivation of the sodium permeability by a factor of 0.9 and 1.4 respectively.
6. It was concluded that TEA mainly affects the delayed permeability increase. The described effects of TEA on the membrane currents qualitatively explain the prolongation of the action potential in TEA-treated nodes.
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Koppenhöfer, E. Die Wirkung von Tetraäthylammoniumchlorid auf die Membranströme Ranvierscher Schnürringe von Xenopus laevis. Pflügers Archiv 293, 34–55 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00362660
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00362660