Terbium simulates the action of calcium on electrophysiological activity in the isolated fish retina

It has been suggested that terbium (Tb) could be substituted for calcium (Ca) in biological tissue and, because of its useful spectroscopic properties, provide an assessment of calcium distribution in the tissue. In order to assess their physiological effects, we have examined the action of free terbium ions on the membrane potential and light-evoked responses of horizontal cells, and on the massed light evoked response (ERG) of the neural retina. Measurements were performed by intracellular and extracellular recording from the isolated fish retina, superfused with Ringers of various ionic compositions, and certain technical difficulties which occurred in the use of terbium are discussed. We show that Tb ions mimic Ca ions in suppression of the ERG and in hyperpolarization of the horizontal cell membrane potential. The effects of Tb persist after its removal from the superfusate for a longer period than do those of calcium, which indicates that terbium binds more firmly at its site(s) activity. Tb and Ca both suppress the light-evoked S-potentials from the horizontal cells, although some differences were observed in the waveform of the S-potentials during the onset of suppression. We conclude that the physiological effects of Tb on the retina are essentially similar to those of Ca, and that Tb could, therefore, prove a useful marker of Ca distribution in neural tissue.