Measurement of cellular excitability by whole cell patch clamp technique.

Patch clamp method developed more than 30 years ago is widely used for investigation of cellular excitability manifested as transmembrane ionic current and/or generation of action potentials. This technique could be applied to measurement of ionic currents flowing through individual (single) ion channels or through the whole assembly of ion channels expressed in the whole cell. Whole cell configuration is more common for measurement of ion currents and the only one enabling measurement of action potentials. This method allows detailed analysis of mechanisms and structural determinants of voltage-dependent gating of ion channels as well as regulation of channel activity by intracellular signaling pathways and pharmacological agents.