A triple-barreled microelectrode for simultaneous measurements of intracellular Na+ and K+ activities and membrane potential in biological cells.

A triple-barreled Na+, K+-selective microelectrode was constructed with liquid ion exchangers for Na+ (monensin) and K+ (Corning #477317) to measure the intracellular Na+ and K+ activities ((Na)i and (K)i) of a single cell and its membrane potential (EM), simultaneously. The tip of the triple-barreled assembly was made less than 0.6 micron in outside diameter. Prior to in vivo measurements, some physiochemical properties of microelectrodes were examined in vitro for the slope constant, selectivity coefficient, electrical resistance, and pH effect, as well as measurements of the activity coefficient on ions in blood serum and Ringer solution. Carrying out direct micropunctures on single cells of the sartorius muscle and renal proximal tubule of bullfrogs in vivo, we obtained the following results: (1) In sartorius muscle, the average (Na)i was 14.8 mEq/liter, the (K)i 64.5 mEq/liter, and the EM -86.2 mV. (2) In proximal tubule cells, the average (Na)i, (K)i and EM were 16.8, 63.0 mEq/liter and -65.9 mV, respectively. (3) There were significant correlations in the proximal tubule between (K)i and EM, and inversely between (Na)i and EM, and between (Na)i and (K)i. These facts may somehow be related to both the activity of Na+-K+ exchange pump and the osmotic equilibrium of water across the membrane. Further, several problems inherent in the multibarreled microelectrode were discussed from the practical point of view.