The Ionic Basis of the Resting Potential in a Cross-Striated Muscle of the Aquatic Snail Lymnaea Stagnalis

Abstract

The mean resting potential in the heart ventricle muscle cells of the freshwater snail Lymnaea stagnalis was found to be −61.2±3.5 (˙˙) mV (ranging from −56mV to −68mV). The average intracellular potassium concentration was estimated to be 51.5±14.6(˙˙) m (ranging from 27.8 m to 77.3 m). The membrane of the heart ventricle muscle cells appears to be permeable to both potassium and chloride, as changes in the extracellular concentration of either of these ions resulted in a change in the membrane potential. A ten-fold change in the extracellular potassium concentration was associated with a 50.4±3.8(˙˙) mV slope when the potassium concentration was above about 6 m. Deviations from the straight-line relation predicted for a potassium electrode could be accounted for by introducing a term for sodium permeability. The ionic basis of the membrane potential in these cells can be described by a modified form of the Goldman-Hodgkin- Katz equation.