The study looked at how glycosides affect potassium and sodium levels in heart muscle cells during acute and chronic potassium deficiency. They found that glycosides can decrease potassium levels in the cells, especially when external potassium levels are low. In chronic potassium deficiency, cells maintain higher potassium and lower sodium levels compared to acute deficiency. This difference may explain why acute hypokalemia makes the heart more sensitive to glycosides than chronic deficiency.