A role of ionic strength on the inotropic effects of osmolarity change in frog atrium

The influence of varying the ionic strength of the bathing solution on the contraction of chemically skinned frog atrial muscle fibers was studied. The rate of tension development activated by calcium slows as the ionic strength is elevated. The size of caffeine contracture, however, was larger in the fiber preloaded with calcium at a higher ionic strength. There was a decrease in the maintained tension at 10(-6) M Ca when a fiber was bathed in a high ionic strength solution. Returning to a normal ionic strength solution caused a transient tension increase. When the fiber was bathed in a low ionic strength solution, the maintained tension increased transiently to a high value and then declined to reach a plateau. The response was also observed in a solution of pCa 8. In the caffeine-treated fiber or in the fiber bathed in ATP free solution, although the maintained tension level was changed corresponding to the altered ionic strength, the transient responses were blocked. These responses were not much influenced by the kinds of salts used to change the ionic strength. When osmolarity of the medium was altered by sucrose, transient responses were not induced. The results could qualitatively explain the isometric tension change of an intact fiber of frog atrium bathed in a hyper- or hypotonic solution.