Warming-induced hyperpolarization of cardiac muscle cells and snail neurones: interpretation based on temperature transition of cooperatively linked surface anionic sites between K+ and Na+ adsorbing states.

The resting potential of a variety of living cells exhibits pronounced hyperpolarization when the cooled cells are brought to a higher temperature. It was shown that this phenomenon can be quantitatively described by the surface adsorption theory of the cell electrical potential in terms of a cooperative temperature transition of the protein-ion-water system at the cell surface. As such, the basic mechanism resembles the temperature transition demonstrated for the bulk phase K+-Na+ distribution in these and similar cells. The paper also discusses the resting potentials of frog muscles and squid axons which do not exhibit hyperpolarization on warming.