Neural regulation on the active sodium-potassium transport in hypokalaemic rat skeletal muscles

C.N.S.-induced suppression of muscle Na-pump activity was studied in fast 'twitch' muscle, extensor digitorum longus, of hypokalaemic rats which were fed a K-deficient diet for 0-9 weeks. The results were compared with those of slow 'tonic' muscle, soleus, reported previously. K-deficient diet caused blood hypokalaemia and a considerable K+ loss and Na+ accumulation in the skeletal, heart and smooth muscles. The cellular K+ loss was in the order of soleus greater than extensor digitorum longus greater than diaphragm greater than duodenum greater than auricle greater than ventricle; C.N.S. organs such as cerebrum, cerebellum, medulla oblongata, spinal cord and liver were spared this K+ fall. Skeletal, heart and smooth muscles lost more K+ with prolongation of hypokalaemic periods, whereas plasma K+ concentration did not fall much below 1.6 mM during hypokalaemia. Peripheral nerve section, cervical and brain-stem transection, decerebration and cortical spreading depression with 20% KCl, which activated the active Na+ and K+ transport in soleus muscles during hypokalaemia, could not enhance the pump activity in extensor digitorum longus muscles. Alpha-adrenoreceptor antagonists such as phenoxybenzamine, phentolamine and dibenamine and a specific blocker of post-synaptic alpha 1-adrenoreceptor, prazosin, did not stimulate Na+ and K+ transport in the extensor digitorum longus muscles during hypokalaemia while the beta-adrenoreceptor antagonist, propranolol, also had no effect. The sensitivity of the active Na+ and K+ transport system in rat muscles to ouabain applied intraperitoneally was greater in extensor digitorum longus muscles than in soleus muscles. The binding experiment with a radiolabelled ligand of alpha 1 adrenoreceptor antagonist, [3H]prazosin, demonstrated the presence of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors on the soleus muscle membranes of hypokalaemic rats, but not of normal rats. alpha 1 Adrenergic receptors were not detected on the extensor digitorum longus muscle membranes prepared from either hypokalaemic or normal rats. The correlation between the C.N.S.-induced inhibition on the Na pump in soleus muscle during hypokalaemia and the occurrence of alpha 1 adrenergic receptors on the muscle was discussed.