New understanding of electrical activity brought by surface potential of cardiomyocytes

Sci Rep. 2021 Mar 23;11(1):6593. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-86138-w.

Abstract

Aiming at the problem encountered in the previous research: during the electrical activity of cardiomyocytes, the influent ions do not seem to be directly derived from the extracellular fluid. We chose to cut in from the colloidal properties of the cells, follow the basic principles of physical chemistry, and establish hypotheses along the derivation of the structural characteristics of cardiomyocytes. Through the surface ion adsorption experiment and patch clamp experiment of living cells, under the condition of sequentially reducing the concentration of Na+ in the extracellular fluid, we observed the exchange and diffusion of adsorbed ions on the cell surface; the changes of inflow INa, ICa-L and action potential; and correlation between results. The results showed that the hypothesis is true. The observed parameter changes were consistent with the fact that during depolarization of cardiomyocytes, the ions of influx were derived from the inference of adsorbed ions on the cell surface; at the same time, it also provided an objective and realistic explanation for the generation of electrocardiogram.

MeSH terms

  • Action Potentials*
  • Animals
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Ion Transport
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / metabolism
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / physiology*
  • Potassium / metabolism
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Sodium / metabolism

Substances

  • Sodium
  • Potassium