Cable properties of smooth muscle

1. The cable properties of smooth muscle of guinea-pig taenia coli were studied by intracellular recording of electrotonic potentials produced by square current pulses and alternating current applied with external electrodes.2. An electrical model of the smooth muscle was constructed to test how the junctional resistance between cells affected the cable properties. The model consisted of a series of short cables (representing cells) which were connected by junctional resistances.3. It was concluded, from the experiments on the living tissue and on the model, that the electrotonic potential in smooth muscle can be expressed by the ordinary cable equation used for nerve and skeletal muscle fibres, even though the junctional resistance is of the same order of magnitude as that of the myoplasmic resistance.4. The cable equation was used to analyse the membrane parameters from the electrotonic potential, from the time course of the foot of the spike and from the conduction velocity. The analysis indicates that the smooth muscle has a membrane capacity of 2-3 muF/cm(2) and a membrane resistance of 30-50 kOmega cm(2).

Long-chain fatty acids containing ether linkage. I. The antibacterial and fungicidal activities of some new beta-alkyloxypropionic acids and their methyl esters

beta-Alkoxypropionic acids and their methyl esters were made with alkoxy groups ranging from C(4)H(9)O to C(18)H(35)O: R-O-CH(2)CH(2)COOH (CH(3)). Methyl esters and acids were also made with one and with two oxyethylene groups between the alkoxy group and the propionic acid group: RO (CH(2) CH(2) O) n-CH(2)CH(2) COOH(CH(3)). The compounds were tested againstStaphylococcus aureus and againstPenicillium for growth inhibition. The optimum size of the alkoxy group appears to be R=C(12)H(25). Oxyethylene groups enhanced the activity againstS. aureus, but had relatively little effect againstPenicillium.