CHLORIDE CURRENTS ACROSS THE MEMBRANE OF MAMMALIAN SKELETAL-MUSCLE FIBERS

1. Chloride currents through the membrane of rat psoas muscle fibre segments were investigated with a double Vaseline gap under conditions minimizing the currents of other ion species. 2. In Cl--free solutions a time- and voltage-independent conductance of 1.1 +/- 0.4 mu S was observed. 3. As with intact fibres, the steady-state Cl- conductance was 2.5 +/- 0.9 mS cm(-2); the halide selectivity was Cl- > Br- > I-, and Cl- currents were completely blocked by 0.1 mM 9-anthracene carboxylic acid (9-AC). 4. Voltage steps from -85mV to between -125 and +55 mV elicited currents with deactivation upon hyperpolarization and activation upon depolarization. Activation was fitted with two exponentials, the smaller time constant increasing from 37.5 ms at +55 mV to 67.0 ms at -5 mV, the larger time constant (450 ms) being independent of potentials more positive than -5 mV. The two deactivation time constants ranged between 30.6 (-105 mV) and 99.3 ms (-35 mV), and 139.4 (-105 mV) and 738.5 ms (-35 mV). 5. The activation curve was fitted with a Boltzmann distribution (half-maximum, -39 mV; slope at inflexion point, 1/17.2 mV). Deactivation was incomplete. At very negative potentials about one-quarter of the maximum number of channels were open. 6. When tested with 5 and 61 mM intracellular Cl- concentration ([Cl-](i)) the kinetic parameters were not different. 7. During depolarizations lasting > 5 s, activation was followed by a decline. With progressively longer prepulses going positive to the reversal potential and test pulses going negative, the responses to test and prepulses decreased with similar time constants, suggesting a real inactivation process.