Potassium currents in human myogenic cells from donors of different ages

Ageing in humans is accompanied by a reduction in the capacity of satellite cells to proliferate and the forming myoblasts to fuse. The processes of myoblast differentiation and fusion are associated with specific changes in the cells electrical properties. We wanted to elucidate the possible effects of ageing on these parameters and performed whole-cell patch-clamp recordings on human myoblasts obtained from biopsies of skeletal muscles from 2-, 48- and 76-year-old donors. First, we found that resting membrane potential on the 4th day of differentiation in vitro is less negative in the older than in the younger cells. Moreover, the oldest cells showed a smaller density of outward and inward potassium currents. More cells from the old and middle-age donors have a low (less than -40 mV) potential of activation for the outward potassium current. We conclude that in human myoblasts biophysical properties of potassium currents change with donor age.