Ionic coupling between nonexcitable cells in culture

Abstract

In the following sections, the electrophysiological techniques used for the demonstration of low-resistance junctions by the occurrence of ionic coupling pulses will be described. It will also be shown that for the analysis of coupling phenomena between cells, electrical parameters such as potential difference, membrane resistance, and capacitance must be taken into account. In addition, the electrical and mechanical instrumentation necessary for such measurements will be described with special emphasis on electrophysiological studies in cultured cells. Based on experiments with lymphocytes it will be shown that low-resistance junctions can be built up within minutes and that in the case of cells of established lines in culture their existence is related neither to normal nor to malignant cell properties, but appears to be associated with fibroblastoid cells.