Intracellular pH and contraction of isolated rabbit and cat papillary muscle: effect of superfusate buffering.

The influence of external buffering on surface pH (pHs), intracellular pH (pHi) and developed twitch tension was investigated in rabbit and cat papillary muscle. pHs and pHi were measured using single and double-barreled microelectrodes respectively. In 20 mM HEPES buffered solution, steady state pHi is close to that in control CO2/HCO-3 (25 mM HCO-3, 5% CO2) solution. pHs and developed tension also do not differ greatly from their control values. Decreasing the HEPES concentration to 5 mM, at constant external pH, lowers pHs considerably. The surface acidosis is associated with a small intracellular acidification; steady state pHi in 5 mM HEPES is always more acid than that in control CO2/HCO-3. A significant decrease in developed tension is also seen in 5 mM HEPES. Alteration of the superfusion velocity influences pHs only slightly. Stimulation of the muscle at high frequency is shown to increase surface acidification, the extent of which is dependent on the buffer concentration. The conclusion from the present experiments is that in papillary muscle external buffering influences intracellular pH and contraction via its effect on pHs.