Fetal calf serum induces an immediate increase in membrane conductance in quiescent human fibroblasts via the opening of Ca2+-activated channels.
No immediate clinical implications; leaves open serum effects on cardiac fibroblast electrophysiology in vivo.
Application of fetal calf serum to quiescent human fibroblasts produces an immediate (3-20 s delay) increase in membrane conductance which lasts about 20-30 s. This conductance is strongly outwardly-rectifying and has a reversal potential between -45 and -10 mV. The conductance increase may also be induced by application of the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 while it does not occur when intracellular K+ is replaced by Cs+. It is concluded that this early effect of serum is due to the opening of Ca2+-activated channels. This permeability change will alter the membrane potential and thus possibly interact with other voltage-sensitive processes induced by serum growth factors.
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Peres et al. (1988) studied this question.
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