Patch-clamp recordings on rat cardiac muscle slices

✍ Scribed by Nail A. Burnashev; Frances A. Edwards; Alexej N. Verkhratsky

• Book ID: 104745137
• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1990
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 319 KB
• Volume: 417
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0031-6768
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00370782

✦ Synopsis

Thin slices (100-200 gm) from cardiac ventricles of newborn (1-14 days old) rats were used for patch-clamp recordings. High resistance seals (>10 GOhms) could be obtained on this preparation without enzymatic treatment of tissue. Resting potential for cardiac fibres, measured in whole-cell configuration, ranged between -30 and -65 inV. Averaged sodium currents and inward rectifying potassium single-channel currents, recorded in cell-attached mode, displayed similar features to those previously reported for isolated rat ventricular cells. Application of patch-clamp techniques to cardiac slices allows single-channel recordings without complicated procedures of cell isolation. Moreover, possible alteration of channel properties caused by proteolytic enzymes can be avoided. This technique provides a new tool for studying electrophysiological properties of heart cells in situ.