Rectifying Properties of Heart Muscle

Abstract

A FACTOR of likely importance in the genesis of the long-lasting action potentials of vertebrate heart muscle is the influence of membrane potential on the potassium permeability of the fibres. That a difference here exists between cardiac muscle and nerve is evident from Weidmann's¹ demonstration of a low slope conductance during the plateau of the action potential. But little information is so far available on the voltage dependence of the membrane conductance under conditions designed to avoid the generation of action potentials.