Effect of Detergent on Electrical Properties of Squid Axon Membrane

Abstract

A B S T R A C T The effects of detergents on squid giant axon action and resting potentials as well as membrane conductances in the voltage clamp have been studied. Anionic detergents (sodium lauryl sulfate, 0.1 to 1.0 rn~; dimethyl benzene sulfonate, 1 to 20 mu, pH 7.6) cause a temporary increase and a later decrease of action potential height and the value of the resting potential. Cationic detergent (cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, 6 X 10-5~ or more, pH 7.6) generally brings about immediate and irreversible decreases in the action and resting potentials. Non-ionic detergent (tween 80, 0.1 M, pH 7.6) causes a slight reversible reduction of action potential height without affecting the value of the resting potential. Both anionic and cationic detergents generally decrease the sodium and potassium conductances irreversibly. The effect of non-ionic detergent is to decrease the sodium conductance reversibly, leaving the potassium conductance almost unchanged.

DDT and Related Substances: Effects on Permeability Properties of Myelinated Xenopus Nerve Fibre. Potential Clamp Analysis

“…The effects of these solvents per se were also studied. Ethanol has earlier been described to decrease the sodium and potassium permeability constants of the squid axon (Armstrong and Binstock 1964, Moore, Ulbricht and Takata 1964) while polyoxyethylene sorbitane mono-oleate only has minute effects (Kishimoto and Adelman 1964). The main findings of the present investigation was that DDT, DDA and bis-(p-chlorophenyl) -acetamide had strikingly different effects.…”

“…The peak sodium permeability decreased about 90 "/o while the steady state potassium permeability decreased less than 10 "/o. This effect appeared within 20 s and was in sharp contrast to the minute effects of polyoxyethylene sorbinate mono-oleate on the squid giant axon (Kishimoto and Adelman 1964). The effect on the myelinated fibre was slowly reversible.…”

Growth Inhibition of Tumour Implants by Associated Surface Active Agents

“…As to the latter membrane components, phospholipids are, at least in part, released from the cell membrane by detergents (Rideal and Taylor, 1957) as also happens with cholesterol (Barrett and Hodes, 1960). It is understandable, then, that by increasing the concentration of the detergent, the cell membrane gradually increases in permeability (Hober and Hober, 1942;Kaltenbach et al, 1958;Hodes et al, 1960) or " becomes thinner " (Yamada et al, 1963) which finally leads to the complete disintegration (lysis) of the cell as a whole (Kishimoto and Adelman, 1964).…”

“…According to Kishimoto and Adelman (1964), the detergent molecules are adsorbed first at the surface of the cell membrane by forming complexes with the membrane substructure, causing changes in the electrical potential. In addition, Seufert (1965) observed that the electrical resistance of the cell membrane is considerably decreased by all types of detergents, e.g.…”

Ions, Drugs and the Axon Membrane*

“…Detergents, which are strongly surface-active, seem to reduce ion conductances and produce a deterioration in axon performance, but so far the mechanism of their action is not clear (Kishimoto & Adelman, 1964). Small anions seem to * The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private ones of the authors and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Navy Department or the naval service at large.…”