Glucose-induced electrical activity in the pancreatic beta-cell: effect of veratridine

Veratridine was used in the presence of glucose to assess the role of the Na pump in the regulation of glucose-induced burst activity. In the presence of 8.4 mM glucose, veratridine elicited a silent hyperpolarization, followed by burst activity. The magnitude of depolarization to plateau potential and the duration of the silent phase were increased. The addition of tetrodotoxin (TTX) restored the pattern of electrical activity to that observed in the absence of veratridine. Similar results were observed when veratridine was used in the presence of 16.7 mM glucose and tetraethylammonium (blocks voltage-dependent potassium permeability). TTX or ouabain blocked the effects of veratridine, and produced depolarization and continuous spike activity. Quinine (blocks Ca-dependent potassium permeability) elicited continuous spike activity in the presence of 16.7 mM glucose. The addition of veratridine induced only a transient return to burst activity, followed by a return to continuous spike activity. These results suggest that an electrogenic Na pump is an important factor in maintaining the transmembrane potential at an optimum level for operation of a voltage- and Ca-sensitive potassium permeability: changes in potassium permeability operating on a background of electrogenic current may be responsible for the voltage transitions associated with burst activity.