Repolarization-induced reactivation of contracture tension in frog skeletal muscle.

Abstract

In solutions containing perchlorate in place of chloride frog toe muscles or small bundles of semitendinosus fibers undergo maximum potassium (K) contractures of long duration at low [K]0 (5–10 mM). After relaxation at high [K]0, large protracted "reactivation" contractures (70–90% of maximum tension) again develop when repolarization is accomplished by a reduction of [K]0 to 2.5–10 mM. Somewhat smaller contractures also appear during repolarization at lower perchlorate concentrations (8–12 mM). The effects of perchlorate include disproportionate shifts in the relation between log [K]0 and K-contracture tension, and between log [K]0 and relaxation rate. Similar but smaller effects are observed in the presence of 1 mM caffeine or 1.5 mM chloroform. These observations implicate at least two potential-dependent processes in the regulation of contraction in frog twitch muscle.