Sodium current and membrane potential in EDL muscle fibers from normal and dystrophic (mdx) mice

The macroscopic and single-channel properties of sodium currents and membrane potential were studied in intact extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscle fibers from mdx (C57BL/10ScSn-mdx) and normal (C57BL/10SnJ) mice. The voltage dependence of activation and inactivation were determined and the associated gating charges were calculated to determine if the lack of dystrophin associated with the mdx condition has any influence on sodium channels either directly or by effects on the membrane environment of the channel. Sodium currents were recorded from cell-attached patches on EDL muscle fibers isolated by collagenase treatment and manual dissection. Both macroscopic and single-channel currents were studied. We found no apparent difference in the sodium channel properties from the two types of muscle. In addition, microelectrode measurements in both mdx and normal muscle fibers indicated similar resting membrane potentials (Vm around -95 mV), which suggests that the normal behavior of sodium channels in the muscle sarcolemma is unaffected by the X-linked gene defect.