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Nature of the calcium dependent potassium leak induced by (+)‐propranolol, and its possible relevance to the drug's antiarrhythmic effect
Author(s) -
GLYNN I. M.,
WARNER ANNE E.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
british journal of pharmacology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.432
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1476-5381
pISSN - 0007-1188
DOI - 10.1111/j.1476-5381.1972.tb07263.x
Subject(s) - propranolol , potassium , calcium , chemistry , biophysics , diffusion , ion , pharmacology , biochemistry , medicine , biology , thermodynamics , physics , organic chemistry
Summary1 Manninen (1970) recently reported that in the presence of calcium ions, (+)‐propranolol causes a massive loss of potassium ions from human red cells, together with a marked inward ‘counter‐transport’ of potassium ions from the medium. 2 This paper shows, theoretically, that counter‐transport of the kind he observed may be accounted for by the setting up of a diffusion potential across the cell membrane and does not imply that, under the influence of propranolol, potassium ions cross the membrane by some process other than free diffusion. 3 The physiological and pharmacological significance of this interpretation of Manninen's findings is briefly discussed.