Skip to main content
NCBI home page
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1971 Dec;219(1):57–75. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1971.sp009649

The origin of the basal cell potential in frog corneal epithelium

Norio Akaike
PMCID: PMC1331617  PMID: 5316662

Abstract

1. As the micro-electrode penetrated through the epithelial cell membranes of frog cornea, a stepwise increase in the potential reaching a maximum value of - 60 mV (`basal cell potential') was observed. Upon penetrating the stroma, the potential dropped abruptly but remained negative (`stroma potential').

2. The basal cell potential was determined as a K+ or a Cl- electrode, but the cell membrane was far more permeable to Cl- than to K+. It was also permeable to Na+, but to a smaller extent.

3. When the product [K]o.[Cl]o was kept constant, for a tenfold increase in [K]o the slope of the basal cell potential approached 58 mV at high [K]o. The slope was greater in the excised cornea than in the whole eye.

4. The basal cell membrane was more permeable to SCN- than to Cl-. Its selectivity towards cations was in the order K+ > Rb+ > Cs+ > NH4+.

5. In Li+ solution the basal cell membrane in the excised cornea caused a hyperpolarization, followed by a gradual depolarization. In contrast, a slow progressive hyperpolarization occurred in the whole eye.

6. Ouabain applied to the epithelial surface of both kinds of preparations did not affect the basal cell potential, but the potential was reduced when applied to the endothelium. MIAA and FDNB also depolarized when applied to both sides of the basal cell.

7. With 90 mM-K+ solution containing Cl- or CH3SO4- applied to the epithelial surface, the potential change occurred only in the high K+ solution with CH3SO4-.

8. The significance of these results for understanding the role of the epithelial boundary regulating the influence of Na+, K+, Cl- and drugs is discussed.

Full text

PDF
57

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ADRIAN R. H. The effect of internal and external potassium concentration on the membrane potential of frog muscle. J Physiol. 1956 Sep 27;133(3):631–658. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1956.sp005615. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Akaike N., Hori M. Effect of anions and cations on membrane potential of rabbit corneal epithelium. Am J Physiol. 1970 Dec;219(6):1811–1818. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1970.219.6.1811. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Akaike N. Membrane potential change and cation movement in sartorius muscle fibers after exposure to lithium ions. Kumamoto Med J. 1966 Jun 30;19(2):114–117. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. CEREIJIDO M., CURRAN P. F. INTRACELLULAR ELECTRICAL POTENTIALS IN FROG SKIN. J Gen Physiol. 1965 Mar;48:543–557. doi: 10.1085/jgp.48.4.543. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Candia O. A., Askew W. A. Active sodium transport in the isolated bullfrog cornea. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1968 Sep 17;163(2):262–265. doi: 10.1016/0005-2736(68)90105-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Candia O. A., Zadunaisky J. A., Bajandas F. Electrical potential profile of the isolated frog cornea. Invest Ophthalmol. 1968 Aug;7(4):405–415. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. DONN A., MAURICE D. M., MILLS N. L. Studies on the living cornea in vitro. I. Method and physiologic measurements. Arch Ophthalmol. 1959 Nov;62:741–747. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1959.04220050003001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Ehlers N. Intracellular potentials of the corneal epithelium. Acta Physiol Scand. 1970 Apr;78(4):471–477. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1970.tb04684.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Fee J. P., Edelhauser H. F. Intracellular electrical potentials in the rabbit corneal epithelium. Exp Eye Res. 1970 Apr;9(2):233–240. doi: 10.1016/s0014-4835(70)80079-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Gainer H., Grundfest H. Permeability of alkali metal cations in lobster muscle. A comparison of electrophysiological and osmometric analyses. J Gen Physiol. 1968 Mar;51(3):399–425. doi: 10.1085/jgp.51.3.399. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Green K., Green M. A. Permeability to water of rabbit corneal membranes. Am J Physiol. 1969 Sep;217(3):635–641. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1969.217.3.635. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Green K. Stromal cation binding after inhibition of epithelial transport in the cornea. Am J Physiol. 1970 Jun;218(6):1642–1649. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1970.218.6.1642. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. HAGIWARA S., CHICHIBU S., NAKA K. I. THE EFFECTS OF VARIOUS IONS ON RESTING AND SPIKE POTENTIALS OF BARNACLE MUSCLE FIBERS. J Gen Physiol. 1964 Sep;48:163–179. doi: 10.1085/jgp.48.1.163. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. HODGKIN A. L., HOROWICZ P. The influence of potassium and chloride ions on the membrane potential of single muscle fibres. J Physiol. 1959 Oct;148:127–160. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1959.sp006278. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Hagiwara S., Takahashi K. Resting and spike potentials of skeletal muscle fibres of salt-water elasmobranch and teleost fish. J Physiol. 1967 Jun;190(3):499–518. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1967.sp008224. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. KIKKAWA Y. THE INTRACELLULAR POTENTIAL OF THE CORNEAL EPITHELIUM. Exp Eye Res. 1964 Jun;3:132–140. doi: 10.1016/s0014-4835(64)80028-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. LAMBERT B., DONN A. EFFECT OF OUABAIN ON ACTIVE TRANSPORT OF SODIUM IN THE CORNEA. Arch Ophthalmol. 1964 Oct;72:525–528. doi: 10.1001/archopht.1964.00970020525017. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Langham M. E., Kostelnik M. The effect of ouabain on the hydration and the adenosine triphosphatase activity of the cornea. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 1965 Dec;150(3):398–405. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Yonemura K., Sato M. The resting membrane potential and cation movement in frog muscle fibers after exposure to lithium ions. Jpn J Physiol. 1967 Dec 15;17(6):678–697. doi: 10.2170/jjphysiol.17.678. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Zadunaisky J. A. Active transport of chloride across the cornea. Nature. 1966 Mar 12;209(5028):1136–1137. doi: 10.1038/2091136b0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Zadunaisky J. A. Active transport of chloride in frog cornea. Am J Physiol. 1966 Aug;211(2):506–512. doi: 10.1152/ajplegacy.1966.211.2.506. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Physiology are provided here courtesy of The Physiological Society

RESOURCES