Concepedia

Abstract

Transmembrane potentials in smooth muscle fiber of bovine mesenteric lymphatics have been studied with the aid of an intracellular microelectrode technique. Resting potentials ranged from −41 to −57 mV. In most of the preparations, the slow fluctuations in the resting potentials were recognized, amplitude and duration of which were about 10 mV and 400-1200 msec, respectively. A burst of action potentials was associated with a spontaneous contraction wave. The amplitude of the action potentials ranged from 39 to 57 mV. The duration of the action potentials was 47.8 ± 9.4 msec in 10 experiments. The magnitude of occasional overshoot was a few millivolts. The level of the resting potentials and the configuration of the action potentials were not affected by tetrodotoxin.