Resolution of ouabain-sensitive and extracellular K+-activated Na+ extrusion in cardiac tissue

Intracellular sodium activity (aiNa) was measured in sheep cardiac Purkinje fibres exposed intermittently to calcium-free solutions containing 1.3 mM-Na+ with 0-16 mM-K+ and 0-0.2 mM ouabain. In potassium-free solution (O K+) mean maximum Na+ pump activity (i.e. excluding Na+ influx and Na+-Ca2+ exchange) was 61% of that in the 4 mM-K+ control solution; in 0.2mM-ouabain-4 mM-K+ it was still 44% of control. This high ouabain concentration abolished Na+ extrusion only in O K+ while reducing it by the same absolute amount at all other extracellular K+ concentrations. The Na+ pump may therefore have two independent components in cardiac tissue.