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MEMBRANE TRANSPORTERS, ION CHANNELS, AND PUMPS
Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Shizuoka, Shizuoka, Japan
Submitted 29 August 2003 ; accepted in final form 1 November 2004
A hyposmotic challenge elicited contraction of isolated canine basilar arteries. The contractile response was nearly abolished by the removal of extracellular Ca2+ and by the voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel (VDCC) blocker nicardipine, but it was unaffected by thapsigargin, which depletes intracellular Ca2+ stores. The contraction was also inhibited by Gd3+ and ruthenium red, cation channel blockers, and Cl channel blockers DIDS and niflumic acid. The reduction of extracellular Cl concentrations enhanced the hypotonically induced contraction. Patch-clamp analysis showed that a hyposmotic challenge activated outwardly rectifying whole cell currents in isolated canine basilar artery myocytes. The reversal potential of the current was shifted toward negative potentials by reductions in intracellular Cl concentration, indicating that the currents were carried by Cl. Moreover, the currents were abolished by 10 mM BAPTA in the pipette solution and by the removal of extracellular Ca2+. Taken together, these results suggest that a hyposmotic challenge activates cation channels, which presumably cause Ca2+ influx, thereby activating Ca2+-activated Cl channels. The subsequent membrane depolarization is likely to increase Ca2+ influx through VDCC and elicit contraction.
stretch-activated cation channels; Ca2+-activated Cl channels; voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels; large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ channels; gadolinium
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