Use of calcium ionophores to determine the effects of intracellular calcium on the action potential of canine cardiac Purkinje fibers.

The effects of calcium ionophores X-537A, A23187, and PR-47 on the action potential of canine cardiac Purkinje fibers were studied using standard microelectrode techniques. The ionophores hyperpolarize the membrane potential, eliminate the notch on the action potential plateau, decrease action potential duration, decrease plateau amplitude and duration, decrease spontaneous diastolic depolarization and excitability, and decrease the rate effect on action potential duration. These effects were shown to be independent of catecholamines, membrane-bound calcium, and the patency of the slow inward current channel. The effects of the ionophores depended on the presence of calcium in the external solution. A plausible interpretation of the data is that an ionophore-mediated increase in intracellular calcium shifts the voltage dependence of transmembrane potassium currents to more negative levels.