Abstract
Potassium ions significantly contribute to the resting membrane potential of cells and, therefore, extracellular K(+) concentration is a crucial regulator of cell excitability. Altered concentrations of extracellular K(+) affect the resting membrane potential and cellular excitability by shifting the equilibria between closed, open and inactivated states for voltage-dependent ion channels that underlie action potential initiation and conduction. Hence, it is valuable to directly measure extracellular K(+) dynamics in health and diseased states. Here, we describe how to make, calibrate and use monopolar K(+)-selective microelectrodes. We deployed them in adult hippocampal brain slices to measure electrically evoked K(+) concentration dynamics. The judicious use of such electrodes is an important part of the tool-kit needed to evaluate cellular and biophysical mechanisms that control extracellular K(+) concentrations in the nervous system.