Effect of reduced Na gradient on electrical activity in isolated bovine and feline ventricular myocytes

We have studied changes in electrical activity resulting from abrupt alterations of the Na gradient, using ventricular myocytes isolated from feline and bovine hearts. Attempting to investigate the ionic current possibly generated by Na-Ca exchange, we studied the effects of the changes in [Na]o in the presence of 20 mM CsCl to inhibit K currents. To facilitate the effect of Cs, we also used a K-free solution and a patch electrode filled with 150 mM cesium glutamate. The application of 20 mM Nao resulted in hyperpolarization and the action potential duration was reduced. Under voltage clamp, 20 of 45 mM Nao generated an outward current at all membrane potentials investigated. The initial part (100-200 ms) of this current was only partially inhibited by 5 mM NiCl2 which is known to fully block the Ca inward current. However, the outward current generated by the reduced [Na]o was fully inhibited by 20 mM MnCl2 (which presumably inhibits Na-Ca exchange). Our observations extend the work on multicellular cardiac preparations indicating that the outward current elicited by a sudden decrease in Na gradient could be generated by Na-Ca exchange. Although the characteristics of this outward current support certain concepts of the Na-Ca exchange in cardiac muscle, we cannot at present exclude a contribution of other membrane current(s).