A statistical mechanical model of cell membrane ion channels in electric fields: The mean-field approximation

A statistical mechanical model of cell membrane ion channels is proposed which incorporates interactions between ion channels and external electric fields. The model provides a physical explanation of trans-membrane ion transport. Under a mean-field approximation, the maximum fractions of open potassium and sodium channels are obtained by solving a self-consistent nonlinear algebraic equation. Using known parameters for the squid giant axon, the model gives excellent agreement with experimental measurements for potassium and sodium trans-membrane conductance. The numerical results imply that the chemical potential of open channels and the interaction energy between channels are well above the thermal noise.