The effects of electric currents on ATP generation, protein synthesis, and membrane transport of rat skin.

Direct electric currents ranging from 10 microA to 1000 microA increase ATP concentrations in the tissue and stimulate amino acid incorporation into the proteins of rat skin. The amino acid transport through the cell membrane, followed by the alpha-aminoisobutyric acid uptake, is stimulated between 100 microA and 750 microA. The stimulatory effects on ATP production and on amino acid transport, apparently mediated by different mechanisms, contribute to the final increased protein synthesizing activity. DNA metabolism followed by thymidine incorporation remains unaffected during the course of current application. The effects on AtP production can be explained by proton movements on the basis of the chemiosmotic theory of Mitchell, while the transport functions are controlled by modification in the electrical gradients across the membranes.