[Mechanisms involved in diversity of membrane excitability in smooth muscle cells]

Membrane ionic currents were recorded using whole cell and patch clamp techniques in smooth muscle cells isolated from various organs to clarify the mechanisms underlying the diversity of membrane excitability. Components of inward and outward currents upon depolarization were resolved from one another kinetically or pharmacologically and were analyzed and compared in these cells under the same conditions. Cells were isolated from the ureter (UT), urinary bladder (UB), vas deferens (VD), aorta (AT), pulmonary artery (PA), taenia caeci (TC) and ileum (IL) of the guinea pig; the femoral artery (FA), portal vein (PV) and iris sphincter (IS) of the rabbit; the stomach fundus (SF) of the rat; the trachea (TR) of the dog and the coronary artery (CA) of the pig. Action potentials were elicited by depolarization in cells from UT, UB, VD, TC, IL, SF and PV, but not in those from AT, PA, FA, IS, TR and CA. Currents identified included Ca2+ currents, Na+ current, Ca(2+)-dependent K+ current, two kinds of delayed rectifier K+ currents which were pharmacologically distinguished by sensitivity to 4-aminopyridine, and Ca(2+)-independent A-type transient K+ current. The membrane excitability including the action potential configuration in each cell type can be roughly explained by a combination of these currents, taking their amplitude and features into consideration.