Potassium chloride intravenous injection is used in suicide attempts and lethal procedures for state-sanctioned punishment. Owing to its relatively high concentrations in hemolyzed blood (25-80 mM) compared to serum (about 4 mM), it is difficult to conclude potassium poisoning by postmortem analysis of biologic samples. A 41-year-man was found dead with an injection sign on his foot and a syrin...

Hyperkalaemia, an elevated extracellular fluid potassium concentration, is a common electrolyte disorder and is present in 1-10% of hospitalised patients. Elevated serum potassium concentrations are usually asymptomatic but may be associated with electrocardiogram (ECG) changes. Hyperkalaemia occasionally leads to life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias. Prompt recognition of this disorder, patien...

The kinetics of thallium exchange in cultured rat myocardial cells were studied and compared to those of potassium in the same tissue. Studies were carried out using low concentrations (10 nM to 5 microM) of thallium-204, approximating those likely to be encountered during clinical myocardial scintigraphy. Both thallium uptake and release could be described by a single exponential with a half-t...

Ouabain binding by the human erythrocyte membrane is reversible, exhibits a high degree of chemical specificity, and can be detected at ouabain concentrations as low as 1 x 10(-10)M. The relation between ouabain binding and ouabain concentration can be described by a rectangular hyperbola permitting determination of the maximal binding (B(max)) and the ouabain concentration at which ouabain bin...

Abstract The whole blood potassium concentration has shown the bimodal distribution in sheep, which has been classified into LK and HK types; HK allele is recessive to LK with a single gene inheritance. This polymorphism showed different behavior in different environment, which could be due to adaptation process. This research was conducted on the Zel and kermani breed research station, which...

Inherent smooth muscle tone and acetylcholine-induced contractions of the isolated longitudinal muscle from guinea pig ileum are inhibited by 1.2 M ethanol. The inhibitions are antagonized by high concentrations of calcium ion in the external medium. Previous work has indicated that an acetylcholine-induced increase in potassium efflux from the ileal muscle is also inhibited by ethanol and reac...

Inherent smooth muscle tone and acetylcholine-induced contractions of the isolated longitudinal muscle from guinea pig ileum are inhibited by 1.2 M ethanol. The inhibitions are antagonized by high concentrations of calcium ion in the external medium. Previous work has indicated that an acetylcholine-induced increase in potassium efflux from the ileal muscle is also inhibited by ethanol and reac...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors controlling membrane permeability to potassium of smooth muscle cells from rat aorta stimulated by depolarization. The increase 42K+ efflux (change in the rate constant) induced by depolarization (application of high concentrations of potassium chloride) was inhibited significantly by the calcium antagonists diltiazem and nisoldipine. Par...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors controlling membrane permeability to potassium of smooth muscle cells from rat aorta stimulated by depolarization. The increase in K + efflux (change in the rate constant) induced by depolarization (application of high concentrations of potassium chloride) was inhibited significantly by the calcium antagonists diltiazem and nisoldipine. P...

Recently we demonstrated potassium secretion by the pars recta or by the descending limb of the juxtamedullary nephron. The purpose of this present investigation is to study the effect of a chronic high-potassium intake on this phenomenon. Fractional reabsorption of water and sodium by the juxtamedullary proximal nephron was decreased when compared to that in normal hydropenic rats. There was a...