The dual effect of calcium on the action potential of the frog's heart

Using ventricle strips of the frog's heart stimulated at the low rate of about 1 shock/min intracellular action potentials were recorded under conditions of varying calcium concentrations.2. Overshoots of action potentials were increased by about 18.3 mV as a result of a 10-fold increase, within the range of 0.1-5 mM, of the calcium concentration.3. A similar effect was obtained by strontium, but magnesium was ineffective.4. The increase of the overshoot by high calcium was associated with an increased rate of rise of the potential during the later part of its ascending phase. The initial fast upstroke remained unaltered.5. Another effect, a depression of the overshoot, developed during periods of repetitive stimulation, at the rate of 20/min, and this was followed by a gradual recovery during subsequent periods of rest.6. The depression of the overshoot increased with increasing calcium concentrations reaching values of over 40 mV.7. High concentrations of strontium and low concentrations of sodium also induced depression of the overshoot, but high magnesium was ineffective.8. A tentative hypothesis has been proposed attributing these two effects: (a) to an entry of calcium through the excitable membrane thus contributing to the ionic inward current, and (b) to a resulting accumulation of calcium in some cellular store.