Fluctuations in membrane current driven by intracellular calcium in cardiac Purkinje fibers

Spontaneous oscillatory fluctuations in membrane potential are often observed in heart cells, but their basis remains controversial. Such activity is enhanced in cardiac Purkinje fibers by exposure to digitalis or K-free solutions. Under these conditions, we find that voltage noise is generated by current fluctuations that persist when membrane potential is voltage clamped. Power spectra of current signals are not made up of single time-constant components, as expected from gating of independent channels, but are dominated by resonant characteristics between 0.5 and 2 HZ. Our evidence suggests that the periodicity arises from oscillatory variations in intracellular free Ca that control ion movements across the surface membrane. The current fluctuations are strongly cross-correlated with oscillatory fluctuations in contractile force, and are inhibited by removing extracellular Ca or exposure to D600. Chelating intracellular Ca with injected EGTA also abolishes the current fluctuations. The oscillatory mechanism may involve cycles of Ca (or Sr) movement between sarcoplasmic reticulum and myoplasm, as previously suggested for skinned cardiac preparations. Our experiments in intact cells indicate that changes in surface membrane potential can modulate cytoplasmic Ca oscillations in frequency and perhaps amplitude as well. A two-way interaction between surface membrane potential and intracellular Ca stores may be a common feature of heart, neuron, and other cell types.