Fluorescence Properties of Frog Skeletal Muscles Treated with Lanthanide Ions

Laser-induced fluorescence from frog skeletal muscle fibers treated with lanthanides, Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺, was recorded. The fluorescence was weak and overlapped with the Raman scattering by the Ringer solution when the muscle fibers were illuminated with an argon-ion laser. The fluorescence decay rate of the lanthanide in Ringer's solution was 2–3 times larger than that of the lanthanide bound to the muscle fiber. The number of water molecules coordinated to the lanthanide bound to the muscle fiber was determined to be about three. This suggests that lanthanide ions bind superficially to the outer membrane of the muscle fiber.