Lithium-induced oscillations of potential and resistance in isolated frog skin.

The rhythmical variations of electrical potential and DC resistance resulting from the exposure of the anatomical outside of isolated frog skin to a concentration of lithium ion greater than 20 millinormal were reinvestigated. In general, the potential and resistance changes were in phase, although in some skins, a phase shift occurred after the first few waves. The mean level of the resistance declined during the exposure to lithium, returning to its former level upon reintroduction of sodium in place of lithium. The oscillations, with a period of from 3 to 15 minutes, could last for 2 hours or more before damping out; the amplitude of the waves could be altered during this time by the passage of direct current or by the introduction of a hydrostatic pressure difference across the skin. Even after the oscillations damped out, the system remained "excitable," responding to a step of direct current or hydrostatic pressure with an oscillatory train. The nature and magnitude of the response to current and pressure were dependent upon the "polarity" of the applied perturbation. Direct observation of the skin revealed no evidence of oscillatory water movement concomitant with the electrical events.