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. 1967 Jul 1;50(6):1517–1546. doi: 10.1085/jgp.50.6.1517

Cation Regulation in the Smooth Muscle of Frog Stomach

Elizabeth W Stephenson 1
PMCID: PMC2225746  PMID: 6034756

Abstract

Cation composition of frog smooth muscle cells was investigated. Fresh stomach muscle rings resembled skeletal muscle, but marked Na gain and K loss followed immersion. Mean Na (49.8–79.7 mM/kg tissue) and K (61.8–80.1 mM/kg tissue) varied between batches, but were stable for long periods in vitro. Exchange of 6–30 mM Na/kg tissue with 22Na was extremely slow and distinct. Extracellular water was estimated from sucrose-14C uptake. Calculated exchangeable intracellular Na was 9 mM/kg cell water, and varied little. Thus steady-state transmembrane cation gradients appeared to be steep. K-free solution had only slight effects. Ouabain (10-4 M) caused marked Na gain and reciprocal K loss; at 30°C, Na and K varied linearly with time over a wide range of contents, indicating constant net fluxes. Net fluxes decreased with temperature decrease. 22Na exchange in ouabain-treated tissue at 20–30°C was rapid and difficult to analyze. The best minimum estimates of unidirectional Na fluxes at 30°C were 10–12 times the constant net flux; constant pump efflux may explain these findings. The rapidity of Na exchange may not reflect very high permeability, but it does require a high rate of transport work.

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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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