Potentials measured from Glycerinated Cardiac Muscle

Abstract

SZENT-GYÖRGYI¹ has shown that muscle extracted in glycerol serves as a model for the actinomyocin contractile system. He found that molecular orientation is well preserved and that the contractile process can be investigated in the presumed absence of a functioning cell membrane. The contractions of glycerinated fibres from skeletal, cardiac and smooth muscle induced by ATP have since been studied by several workers. Chichibu² showed that the resting membrane potential of the extensor muscle of the American freshwater crayfish is decreased by glycerol. 2 molar glycerol reduced the membrane potential from −80 mV to less than −20 mV within 3 h, but fibres kept in glycerol for more than a few hours were not studied.