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Ethanol Increases K + Conductance in Human T‐Cells
Author(s) -
Oleson Dorothy R.,
DeFelice Louis J.,
Donahoe Robert M.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
alcoholism: clinical and experimental research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.267
H-Index - 153
eISSN - 1530-0277
pISSN - 0145-6008
DOI - 10.1111/j.1530-0277.1993.tb00807.x
Subject(s) - conductance , pipette , membrane potential , reversal potential , hyperpolarization (physics) , ethanol , chemistry , patch clamp , current (fluid) , biophysics , electrophysiology , analytical chemistry (journal) , physics , medicine , biology , biochemistry , chromatography , stereochemistry , nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy , thermodynamics , condensed matter physics , receptor
Ethanol increased the open probability of a K channel in cultured human T‐cells. Single‐channel currents were studied using the patch‐clamp technique in cell‐attached configuration. Ethanol increased the number of simultaneously active channels and subsequent current maxima at concentrations of 35 and 50 mM from control levels of 3.2 to 4.6 pA and 8.4 PA, respectively. Current responses were elicited by a 80 mV hyperpolarizing pulse following adjustment to the same resting potential. The channel was K‐selective as determined by the reversal potentials under different Na‐K gradients. When the pipette contained 155 mM K, single‐channel currents had a slope conductance of 28 pS and a reversal potential of ‐4.3 mV. Baseline current levels often shifted in a negative direction during the application of ethanol, indicating a hyperpolarization of the membrane potential and an increase in channel activity.