Mechanism of rhythm determination among pacemaker cells of the mammalian sinus node

The isolated rabbit sinus node was partly divided into two parts by a cut in the middle portion. Microelectrode recording near the bridge connecting the two parts revealed an interference between action potentials from the two parts. Comparison of microelectrode recordings from the two parts taken near the bridge suggested that an induced peculiar rhythm change in one part was probably induced by the electrotonic effects of the action potentials of the other part. To prove this, a subthreshold depolarizing square-wave pulse was applied extracellularly to the isolated uncut sinus node. When the pulse was applied in the early portion of slow diastolic depolarization, diastole was prolonged, and when it was applied in the later portion, diastole was shortened. These findings can explain the observed peculiar thythm and suggest that in the mammalian sinus node, pacemaker cells accelerate or decelerate mutually by the electrotonic effects of their action potentials, depending on the phase of application of the effects. In particular, for some time the faster pacemaker cells could be influenced by dragging effects from the neighboring slower pacemaker cells and the slower pacemaker cells by pulling effects from the neighboring faster pacemaker cells.