Outward Na(+)-Ca2+ exchange currents were measured in freshly dissociated guinea-pig myocytes to probe in intact cells the functional status of exchanger inactivation reactions, described previously in giant excised cardiac membranes patches. 2. When the cytoplasmic (pipette) solution contained 40 mM Na+ and 0.1 microM free Ca2+ (50 mM EGTA), the outward exchange current activated by extracellular Ca2+ decayed with time (time constant, 13.1 +/- 2.6 s; n = 6), and an inward current transient was observed upon removal of extracellular Ca2+. Both the current decay and the subsequent inward current transient were remarkably diminished with a saturating (100 mM) pipette Na+ concentration. 3. With 100 mM cytoplasmic Na+ and 140 mM extracellular Na+, a significant fraction of the exchanger population is predicted to be in an inactive state. Intracellular application of 2 mg ml-1 chymotrypsin and 5 microM sodium tetradecylsulphate, both of which decrease Na(+)-dependent inactivation in giant membrane patches, increased the outward exchange current by about 160-170%, suggesting that about 60-70% of exchangers might be inactivated. 4. With 100 mM cytoplasmic Na+ and no extracellular Na+ (replaced with 140 mM Li+), application of extracellular Ca+ was predicted to reorient exchanger binding sites from the extracellular side to the cytoplasmic side and thereby favour inactivation. During such protocols, the outward exchange current decayed by 60-80% when activated by extracellular Ca2+. The current decayed similarly when extracellular Ca2+ and Na+ were applied together, whereby current magnitudes were about 3-fold smaller. 5. The decay of outward exchange current usually followed a biexponential time course (5.8 +/- 3.5 and 27.3 +/- 16.3 s, means +/- S.D., n = 11). Intracellular application of 0.5-2 mg ml-1 trypsin attenuated the fast component more than the slow component, suggesting that the fast component reflects an inactivation process. 6. Current-voltage (I-V) relations of the outward exchange current became less steep during the inactivation protocols, but this flattening could not be correlated with inactivation. 7. Replacement of extracellular Li+ with N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMG), tetraethylammonium (TEA), sucrose or Cs+ resulted in a flattening of I-V relations and a decrease of the outward exchange current amplitude by approximately 3-fold, but the kinetics and extent of inactivation were not remarkably changed. Thus, the mechanism of inactivation appears to be independent of the mechanism(s) of activation by extracellular monovalent cations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
