Transient electrical phenomenon of the voltage-clamped toad urinary bladder

1. The effects of changes in voltage on the transepithelial current through the toad urinary bladder have been studied using Ussing chambers. 2. Step changes in voltage produced two transient currents of duration seconds and minutes respectively. 3. Amiloride, which was used to block all active transport, also eliminated the transient nature of the current responses, indicating that the phenomena were cellular in origin. In the presence of amiloride, amphotericin B regenerated the short-circuit current and the transient behaviour. 4. The effects of substituting gluconate for Cl- in the medium were examined. Similar transient responses were observed, indicating that they were not due to changes in a plasma membrane Cl- conductance. 5. The shape and magnitude of the first current transient changed with (i) changes in the mucosal Na+ concentration, (ii) the magnitude of the transepithelial voltage step, (iii) the addition of antidiuretic hormone, (iv) changes in the serosal K+ concentration, or (v) the addition of ouabain. 6. The second current transient was similarly affected by such challenges. 7. In some bladders the voltage step produced current oscillations similar to those obtained after the epithelium had been challenged with a serosal osmotic step (Gordon, 1988). 8. The results suggest that two major processes are initiated by a transepithelial voltage step. The first involves a change in the K+ conductance of the basolateral membrane and the second is associated with the alteration of cellular ion content and Na+ pump rate.