The role of extracellular K-concentration in phalloidin effects on isolated hepatocytes and perfused rat livers.

Phalloidin is known to produce potassium loss and swelling in perfused livers. In isolated hepatocytes no volume increase was observed in the presence of the mushroom toxin; however, the cells lose potassium by treatment with phalloidin. Swelling and K-balance were studied at various extracellular K-concentrations. At high extracellular K-concentrations (140 mM) the potassium loss from both isolated hepatocytes and perfused livers was higher in the controls than in experiments with phalloidin. In the presence of 10 M ouabain the K-loss from perfused livers, as caused by phalloidin, depends on the K-gradient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]