Dierkes PW, Wüsten HJ, Klees G, Müller A, Hochstrate P. Ionic mechanism of ouabain-induced swelling of leech Retzius neurons.
Pflugers Arch 2005;
452:25-35. [PMID:
16341876 DOI:
10.1007/s00424-005-0009-6]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2005] [Revised: 09/29/2005] [Accepted: 10/07/2005] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
By using electrophysiological and microfluorimetric methods, we found that leech Retzius neurons swell after inhibition of the Na(+)-K(+) pump by the cardiac glycoside ouabain. To explore the mechanism of this swelling, we measured the effect of ouabain on [Na(+)](i), [K(+)](i), and [Cl(-)](i), as well as on the membrane potential, by applying triple-barrelled ion-sensitive microelectrodes. As shown previously, ouabain induced a marked [Na(+)](i) increase, a [K(+)](i) decrease, and a membrane depolarization, and it also evoked an increase in [Cl(-)](i). The analysis of the data revealed a net uptake of NaCl, which quantitatively explained the ouabain-induced cell swelling. In the absence of extracellular Na(+) or Cl(-), NaCl uptake was excluded, and the cell volume remained unaffected. Likewise, NaCl uptake and, hence, cell swelling did not occur when the Na(+)-K(+) pump was inhibited by omitting bath K(+). Also, in K(+)-free solution, [Na(+)](i) increased and [K(+)](i) dropped, but [Cl(-)](i) slightly decreased, and after an initial, small membrane depolarization, the cells hyperpolarized for a prolonged period. It is concluded that the ouabain-induced NaCl uptake is caused by the depolarization of the plasma membrane, which augments the inwardly directed electrochemical Cl(-) gradient.
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