GATING MECHANISM AND VOLTAGE-DEPENDENT BLOCK BY EXTERNAL DIVALENT CATIONS OF THE DELAYED RECTIFIER K CHANNEL IN RABBIT SINO-ATRIAL NODE CELLS

  • Ho, Won-Kyung (Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine) ;
  • Lee, Suk-Ho (Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicin) ;
  • Earm, Yung-E (Department of Physiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine)
  • Published : 1996.07.01

Abstract

In sino-atrial node cells which act as the normal pacemaker of the heart, K conductance in resting state is minimal due to the absence of inward rectifier K channels K conductance only increases when the membrane is depolarized by the activation of the delayed rectifier K current I$\_$k/. In the present study, we investigated the gating mechanism of$\_$k/ using the whole cell patch clamp technique in isolated single sinoatrial cells of the rabbit. (omitted)

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