Linear impedance studies of voltage-dependent conductances in tissue cultured chick heart cells

Plateau and pacemaker currents from tissue cultured clusters of embryonic chick heart cells were studied in the time domain, using voltage-clamp steps, and in the frequency domain, using a wide-band noise input superimposed on a steady holding voltage. In the presence of tetrodotoxin to block the sodium channel, a depolarizing voltage step into the plateau range elicited: (a) a rapid (approximately equal to 2 ms) activation of the slow inward current; (b) a subsequent slower (approximately equal to 25 ms) decline in the slow inward current; and (c) activation of a very slow (5 to 10 s) outward current. Impedance studies in this voltage range could clearly resolve two voltage-dependent processes, which appeared to correspond to points b and c above because of their voltage dependence, pharmacology, and time constants. A correlate of point a was also probably present but difficult to resolve owing to the fast time constant of activation for the slow inward channel. At voltages negative to -50 mV a new voltage-dependent process could be resolved, which, because of its voltage dependence and time constant, appeared to represent the pacemaker channel (also termed If or IK2). In the Appendix, linear models of voltage-dependent channels and ion accumulation/depletion are derived and these are compared with our data. Most of the above-mentioned processes could be attributed to voltage-dependent channels with kinetics similar to those observed in time domain, voltage-clamp studies. However, the frequency domain correlate of the decline of the slow inward current was incompatible with channel gating, rather, it appears accumulation/depletion of calcium may dominate the decline in this preparation.