Effects of helium-neon laser irradiation and local anesthetics on potassium channels in pond snail neurons.

Intracellular dialysis and membrane voltage clamping were used to show that He-Ne laser irradiation of a pond snail neuron at a dose of 0.7 x 10(-4) J (power density 1.5 x 10(2) W/m2) increases the amplitude of the potential-dependent slow potassium current, while a dose of 0.7 x 10(-3) J decreases this current. Bupivacaine suppresses the potassium current. Combined application of laser irradiation at a dose of 0.7 x 10(-3) J increased the blocking effect of 10 microM bupivacaine on the slow potassium current, while an irradiation dose of 0.7 x 10(-4) J weakened the effect of bupivacaine.