[The effect of charged local anesthetics on the inactivation of Ca2+-activated Cl-channels of characean algae].

Effects of local anesthetics (LA) and a number of organic cations on Ca2+-activated Cl-channels in plasmalemma of intracellularly perfused giant algae Nitellopsis obtusa were studied using voltage-clamp technique. It was shown earlier that Ca2+ ions cause irreversible inactivation of Cl-channels with a characteristic time equal to a few minutes, but not only activate Cl-channels. It has been found that amphiphilic cations (AC), including LA+, introduced intracellularly together with Ca2+ produced delayed action on the beginning of the inactivation process (approximately ten minutes) producing no effect on activation during this period. The time of delayed action was linearly dependent on the concentrations ratio alpha = [AC]/[Ca2+]. Procaine is the most effective agent in this respect, the time of its delayed action on the inactivation process being 20 min at alpha = 1. LA in the neural form, hydrophilic AC of tetraethylammonium, as well as LA+ from the outside had no effect on Cl-channels. Cl-channels inactivated "irreversibly" by Ca2+ ions may be restored after addition of AC in Ca2+-containing perfusion medium.