We found a match
Your institution may have rights to this item. Sign in to continue.
- Title
Spontaneous Rhythmic Inward Currents Recorded in Interstitial Cells of Rabbit Portal Vein.
- Authors
Xu Huang; Dan Zhao; Zuo-Yu Wang; Ming-Liang Zhang; Zhi-Qiang Yan; Yan-Fei Han; Hong-Li Lu; Wen-Xie Xu; Zong-Lai Jiang
- Abstract
It is now well established that smooth muscle of the portal vein exhibits spontaneous rhythmic contraction in vitro. The present study was designed to investigate the pacemaking mechanism(s) underlying the spontaneous rhythmic contractions in the rabbit portal vein (RPV). Using whole-cell patch clamp techniques, spontaneous inward currents were recorded at −60 mV of holding potential in freshly dispersed c-Kit immunopositive interstitial cells (ICs) isolated from sections of RPV. The inward currents were abolished by caffeine, FCCP, thapsigargin, and ryanodine, but were partially inhibited by 2-APB. Both gadolinium, a non-selective cation channel inhibitor, and niflumic acid, a chloride channel blocker, inhibited the inward currents completely. Replacement of external Na+ with NMDG+ also blocked the inward currents. W-7, a calmodulin inhibitor, increased both the amplitude and frequency of the inward currents. Taken together, these results indicate that non-selective cationic channels are involved in the generation of spontaneous inward currents recorded from ICs. Intracellular calcium concentration and calmodulin regulate the spontaneous inward currents, which may account for spontaneous rhythmic contraction in the RPV, but a role of chloride channels may not be excluded in the present study.
- Subjects
SMOOTH muscle; PORTAL vein; HEPATIC portal system; CATIONS; ION channels
- Publication
Cell Biochemistry & Biophysics, 2010, Vol 57, Issue 2/3, p77
- ISSN
1085-9195
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s12013-010-9085-0