The aim of the present work was to check changes in functional characteristics of isolated muscle cells, operating on the calcium electrogenesis principle, while kept in culture media for several days. Skeletal muscle cells of the crayfish Astacus fluviatilis were used to study potassium/caffeine contractures and single/tetanic contractions; simultaneous electrical and mechanical responses were recorded by the microelectrode technique, and kinetics of calcium ionic currents was studied under vaseline-gap voltage clamp. In cultured fibers, active membrane responses and calcium current kinetics remained unchanged, or slightly increased, whereas contractile responses were substantially reduced. A gradual excitation-contraction decoupling was observed. The fiber maintained the ability to respond to direct activation (by caffeine) of the contractile apparatus. Subthreshold caffeine concentrations (0.2-0.5 mmol/l) and adrenaline (6.0(-6), 6.10(-5) mol/l) enhanced the inhibited (due to the culturing) single contractile responses.

Centra fyziologických vied SAV v Bratislave