STUDIES OF HEPATIC CELL RESTING MEMBRANE POTENTIAL - REPORT OF IN VITRO AND IN VIVO EXPERIMENTS AND REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Studies of rat hepatic cell resting membrane electrical potentials (RP) confirm previous reports that the in vivo RP of the intact rat declines approximately 50% following asphyxia. No change of in vitro rat liver RP followed substitution of atmospheric air for 100% O2. In vitro, changes of pH from 6.4-9.4 did not alter rat liver RP. Changes of extracellular Na+ had no effect on liver RP. Alteration of extracellular K+ had a small but significant effect on rat liver cell RP, but only with large alterations in the 20-80 meq/liter range. The greatest effect upon the in vitro rat hepatic cell RP was induced by alterations in extracellular chloride ion. It is possible that chloride ion determines liver cell RP. © 1969.