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. 1973 Mar 1;61(3):385–399. doi: 10.1085/jgp.61.3.385

Rapid Changes of Potassium Concentration at the Outer Surface of Exposed Single Neurons during Membrane Current Flow

E Neher 1, H D Lux 1
PMCID: PMC2203454  PMID: 4689624

Abstract

K+-sensitive liquid ion-exchanger microelectrodes are shown to be capable of measuring concentration changes which occur on a millisecond time scale. However, some quaternary ammonium ions, such as tetraethylammonium and acetylcholine, are able to block electrode function when present in concentrations as low as 10-4 to 10-3 M. Changes in extracellular potassium concentration caused by spike activity or voltage clamp pulses of exposed single neurons of the snail Helix pomatia may be measured by these electrodes. Quantitative analysis shows that the total amount of excess potassium found in the vicinity of the cell a short time after a clamp pulse, is in relatively good agreement with the amount of potassium carried by the membrane current.

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Selected References

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

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