Fig. 5. (A) An increase in the fluorescence intensity (
F/F)
indicating an increase in the intracellular Ca2+ concentration of a
single caudal heart muscle fibre associated with depolarisation produced by an
increase in the external K+ concentration to 100 mmol
l-1 at the time marked by arrow. The fibres had been loaded with
fluo-3 by immersing in 0Ca2+-ASW containing 30 mmol l-1
Co2+ and 2 µmol l-1 fluo-3-AM for 1.5 h. The bath
solution was 0Ca2+-ASW containing 30 mmol l-1
Co2+. The dotted line indicates the background fluorescence
measured off the cell. (B) Effect of changing the external K+
concentration on the membrane potential of caudal heart muscle fibres. Values
are means ± S.D. obtained from 10 fibres. The slope was obtained by
linear regression to the mean values, and is 35.2 mV per tenfold change in the
K+ concentration.