Conditions for Kir-induced bistability of membrane potential in capillary endothelial cells

A simplified model for electrophysiology of endothelial cells is used to examine the conditions that can lead to bistability of membrane resting potential. The model includes the effects of inward-rectifying potassium (Kir) ion channels, whose current-voltage relationship shows an interval of negative slope and whose maximum conductance is dependent on the extracellular potassium concentration. The background current resulting from other types of channels is assumed to be linearly related to membrane potential. A method is presented for identifying the boundaries in the parameter space for the background currents of the regions of bistability. It is shown that these regions are relatively narrow and depend on extracellular potassium concentration. The results are used to define conditions leading to transitions between depolarized and hyperpolarized membrane states. These behaviors can influence the properties of conducted responses, in which changes in membrane potential are propagated along blood vessel walls. Conducted responses are important in the local regulation of blood flow in the brain and other tissues.

Automated summary

A simplified model for the electrophysiology of endothelial cells is used to investigate the conditions leading to bistability of membrane resting potential. The model considers the effects of inward-rectifying potassium (Kir) ion channels, whose current-voltage relationship exhibits a negative slope region and its maximum conductance depends on extracellular potassium concentration. The study presents a method for identifying the parameter space boundaries of background currents that correspond to bistability regions. The results reveal narrow bistability regions that depend on extracellular potassium concentration and define conditions for transitions between depolarized and hyperpolarized membrane states. These findings have implications for understanding the regulation of blood flow and conducted responses in the brain and other tissues.