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Neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts express three types of voltage-gated K+ channels: regulation of a transient outward current by protein kinase C

Authors: Kenneth B, Walsh; Jining, Zhang;

Neonatal rat cardiac fibroblasts express three types of voltage-gated K+ channels: regulation of a transient outward current by protein kinase C

Abstract

Cardiac fibroblasts regulate myocardial development via mechanical, chemical, and electrical interactions with associated cardiomyocytes. The goal of this study was to identify and characterize voltage-gated K+ (Kv) channels in neonatal rat ventricular fibroblasts. With the use of the whole cell arrangement of the patch-clamp technique, three types of voltage-gated, outward K+ currents were measured in the cultured fibroblasts. The majority of cells expressed a transient outward K+ current ( Ito) that activated at potentials positive to −40 mV and partially inactivated during depolarizing voltage steps. Ito was inhibited by the antiarrhythmic agent flecainide (100 μM) and BaCl2 (1 mM) but was unaffected by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP; 0.5 and 1 mM). A smaller number of cells expressed one of two types of kinetically distinct, delayed-rectifier K+ currents [ IK fast ( IKf) and IK slow ( IKs)] that were strongly blocked by 4-AP. Application of phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate, to stimulate protein kinase C (PKC), inhibited Ito but had no effect on IKf and IKs. Immunoblot analysis revealed the presence of Kv1.4, Kv1.2, Kv1.5, and Kv2.1 α-subunits but not Kv4.2 or Kv1.6 α-subunits in the fibroblasts. Finally, pretreatment of the cells with 4-AP inhibited angiotensin II-induced intracellular Ca2+ mobilization. Thus neonatal cardiac fibroblasts express at least three different Kv channels that may contribute to electrical/chemical signaling in these cells.

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Keywords

Flecainide, Patch-Clamp Techniques, Angiotensin II, Myocardium, Blotting, Western, Heart, Fibroblasts, Rats, Electrophysiology, Animals, Newborn, Potassium Channels, Voltage-Gated, Animals, Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate, Calcium, Calcium Signaling, 4-Aminopyridine, Anti-Arrhythmia Agents, Protein Kinase C, Signal Transduction

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Powered by OpenAIRE graph
citations
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
42
Top 10%
Top 10%
Top 10%