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Modulation of Whole‐Cell Currents in Plasmodium Falciparum ‐Infected Human Red Blood Cells by Holding Potential and Serum
Author(s) -
Staines Henry M.,
Powell Trevor,
Clive Ellory J.,
Egée Stéphane,
Lapaix Franck,
Decherf Gaëtan,
Thomas Serge L. Y.,
Duranton Christophe,
Lang Florian,
Huber Stephan M.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
the journal of physiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.802
H-Index - 240
eISSN - 1469-7793
pISSN - 0022-3751
DOI - 10.1113/jphysiol.2003.051169
Subject(s) - plasmodium falciparum , red blood cell , electrophysiology , patch clamp , ion channel , membrane potential , biophysics , biology , malaria , whole blood , plasmodium (life cycle) , red cell , chemistry , microbiology and biotechnology , neuroscience , immunology , parasite hosting , medicine , biochemistry , receptor , world wide web , computer science
Recent electrophysiological studies have identified novel ion channel activity in the host plasma membrane of Plasmodium falciparum ‐infected human red blood cells (RBCs). However, conflicting data have been published with regard to the characteristics of induced channel activity measured in the whole‐cell configuration of the patch‐clamp technique. In an effort to establish the reasons for these discrepancies, we demonstrate here two factors that have been found to modulate whole‐cell recordings in malaria‐infected RBCs. Firstly, negative holding potentials reduced inward currents (i.e. at negative potentials), although this result was highly complex. Secondly, the addition of human serum increased outward currents (i.e. at positive potentials) by approximately 4‐fold and inward currents by approximately 2‐fold. These two effects may help to resolve the conflicting data in the literature, although further investigation is required to understand the underlying mechanisms and their physiological relevance in detail.