• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제7권1호
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• pp.25-28
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• 2003

Ion channel inhibitors are widely used for pharmacological discrimination between the different channel types as well as for determination of their functional role. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that 4-aminopyridine (4-AP) could affect the large conductance $Ca^{2+}$-activated $K^+$ channel ($BK_{Ca}$) currents using perforated-patch or cell-attached configuration of patch-clamp technique in the rabbit pulmonary arterial smooth muscle. Application of 4-AP reversibly inhibited the spontaneous transient outward currents (STOCs). The reversal potential and the sensitivity to charybdotoxin indicated that the STOCs were due to the activation of $BK_{Ca}$. The $BK_{Ca}$ currents were recorded in single channel resolution under the cell-attached mode of patch-clamp technique for minimal perturbation of intracellular environment. Application of 4-AP also inhibited the single $BK_{Ca}$ currents reversibly and dose-dependently. The membrane potential of rabbit pulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells showed spontaneous transient hyperpolarizations (STHPs), presumably due to the STOC activities, which was also inhibited by 4-AP. These results suggest that 4-AP can inhibit $BK_{Ca}$ currentsin the intact rabbit vascular smooth muscle. The use of 4-AP as a selective voltage-dependent $K^+$ (KV) channel blocker in vascular smooth muscle, therefore, must be reevaluated.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology
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• 제25권1호
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• pp.17-26
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• 1991

Single smooth muscle cells of the rabbit pulmonary artery were isolated by treatment with collagenase and elastase. Using the patch clamp technique, potassium channel activity was recorded from the inside-out membrane patch. The channel had a sin히e channel conductance of about 360 pS in symmetrical concentration of K on both sides of the patch, 150 mM, and had a linear current-voltage relationship. During the application of 10 mM tetraethylammonium (TEA) to the intracellular membrane surface, the amplitude of single channel current was reduced and very rapid flickering appeared. The open probability $(P_0)$ of this channel was increased by increasing positivity of the potential across the patch membrane, with e-fold increase by 20 mV depolarization, and by increasing the internal $Ca^{2+}$ concentration. These findings are consistent with those of large conductance Ca-activated K channels reported in other tissues. But the shortening of the mean open time by increasing $[Ca^{2+}]_i$, was an unexpected result and one additional closed state which might be arisen from a block of the open channel by Ca binding was suggested. The $P_0-membrane$ potential relationship was modulated by internal pH. Decreasing pH reduced $P_0$. Increasing pH not only increased $P_0$ but also weakened the voltage dependency of the channel opening. The modulation of Ca-activated K channel by pH was thought to be related to the mechanism of regulation of vascular tone by the pH change.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• 제20권1호
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• pp.119-127
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• 2016

Dihydropyridine (DHP) calcium channel blockers (CCBs) have been widely used to treat of several cardiovascular diseases. An excessive shortening of action potential duration (APD) due to the reduction of $Ca^{2+}$ channel current ($I_{Ca}$) might increase the risk of arrhythmia. In this study we investigated the electrophysiological effects of nicardipine (NIC), isradipine (ISR), and amlodipine (AML) on the cardiac APD in rabbit Purkinje fibers, voltage-gated $K^+$ channel currents ($I_{Kr}$, $I_{Ks}$) and voltage-gated $Na^+$ channel current ($I_{Na}$). The concentration-dependent inhibition of $Ca^{2+}$ channel currents ($I_{Ca}$) was examined in rat cardiomyocytes; these CCBs have similar potency on $I_{Ca}$ channel blocking with $IC_{50}$ (the half-maximum inhibiting concentration) values of 0.142, 0.229, and 0.227 nM on NIC, ISR, and AML, respectively. However, ISR shortened both $APD_{50}$ and $APD_{90}$ already at $1{\mu}M$ whereas NIC and AML shortened $APD_{50}$ but not $APD_{90}$ up to $30{\mu}M$. According to ion channel studies, NIC and AML concentration-dependently inhibited $I_{Kr}$ and $I_{Ks}$ while ISR had only partial inhibitory effects (<50% at $30{\mu}M$). Inhibition of $I_{Na}$ was similarly observed in the three CCBs. Since the $I_{Kr}$ and $I_{Ks}$ mainly contribute to cardiac repolarization, their inhibition by NIC and AML could compensate for the AP shortening effects due to the block of $I_{Ca}$.

• BMB Reports
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• 제28권6호
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• pp.499-503
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• 1995

In our previous studies (Chae et al., 1990; Chae et a1., 1993), we found that a phytochrome signal was clearly connected with the change in cytosolic free $Ca^{2+}$ concentration ($[Ca^{2+}]_i$) in oat cells. It was determined that the $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ change occured both by mobilization out of the intracellular $Ca^{2+}$ store and by influx from the medium. The specific aim of this work is to elucidate the processes connecting $Ca^{2+}$ mobilization and influx. The cells treated with thapsigargin (increasing $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ by inhibition of the $Ca^{2+}$-ATPase in the calcium pool) in the presence of external $Ca^{2+}$ showed the same increasing pattern (sustained increasing shape) of $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ as that measured in animal cells. Red light irradiation after thapsigargin treatment did not increase $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ These results suggest that thapsigargin also acts specifically in the processes of mobilization and influx of $Ca^{2+}$ in oat cells. When the cells were treated with TEA ($K^+$ channel blocker), changes in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ were drastically reduced in comparison with that measured in the absence of TEA. The results suggest that the change in $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ due to red light irradiation is somehow related with $K^+$ channel opening to change membrane potential. The membrane potential change due to $K^+$ influx might be the critical factor in opening a voltage-dependent calcium channel for $Ca^{2+}$ influx.

• 대한약리학회지
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• 제30권1호
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• pp.125-136
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• 1994

갑각류 골격근의 SR에서 칼슘유리 channel protein complex의 성격을 규명하기 위해 민물가재 및/또는 바다가재의 SR vesicles을 분리하여 $^{45}Ca$ 유리, $[^3H]ryanodine$결합, 및 immunoblot 실험을 실시하여 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. 1.민물가재 SR의 $[^3H]ryanodine$결합 실험에서 민물가재 SR의 maximal binding site및 affinity모두 바다가재에서 보다 낮았으나, high affinity binding site이었다. Extravesicles 칼슘농도를 증가시켰을 때 $[^3H]ryanodine$결합은 약간 증가되었으나, AMP나 AMP와 caffeine을 동시에 첨가하였을 때는 현저히 증가되었다(p<0.05). 이런 증가 현상은 $MgCl_2$나 tetracaine으로 유의성 있게 억제되었으나(p<0.001), ruthenium red에 의해서는 약간 억제되었다. 2.민물가재 SR을 전기영동하였을 때 바다가재의 ryanodine receptor band (HMWBr)와 비슷하나 포유류의 것(HMWBS) 보다는 약간 빠른 mobility를 나타낸다. 3.바다가재 HMWBr에 대한 polyclonal Ab를 이용한 민물가재, 바다가재 및 토끼 골격근의 칼슘유리 channel간의 면역학적 교차반응에서 민물가재와 바다가재의 칼슘유리 channel 간에는 교차반응이 있었으나, 포유류의 것과는 아무런 반응이 없었다. 4.민물가재 SR에서 $^{45}Ca$유리는 extravesicles의 칼슘농도 증가에 따라서 증가되었고, 낮은 외부 칼슘 농도에서 바다가재 보다 빠르게 일어났으나, AMP와 caffeine에 의해 영향을 받지 않았고, $MgCl_2$와 tetracaine으로 약간($3{\sim}8%$) 그리고 고농도의 ruthenium red로 중등도(23%) 억제되었다. 이상의 실험성적으로 갑각류 칼슘유리 channel protein은 포유류의 것과는 기능적으로나 면역학적으로 매우 다른 특징을 가지고 있고, 민물가재와 바다가재 칼슘유리 channel은 서로 유사한 특징을 갖지만, 민물가재의 칼슘유리 channel이 바다가재의 것보다 외부칼슘에 예민한 기능을 갖는 것으로 사료된다.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제11권4호
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• pp.614-618
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• 2001

Low-threshold T-type $Ca^{2+}$ channels are distinctive voltage-operated gates for external $Ca^{2+}$ entry around a resting membrane potential due to their low voltage activation. These phenomena have already been extensively studied due to their relevance in diverse physiological functions. Recently, three T-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel ${\alpha}$$_1$subunits were cloned and their biophysical properties were characterized after expression in mammalian expression systems. In this study, ${\alpha_IG} and {\alpha_IH}$ low-threshold $Ca^{2+}$ channels were expressed and characterized in Xenopus oocytes after adding 5' and 3'untranslated portions of a Xenopus ${\beta}$ globin to improve their expression levels. The added portions dramatically enhanced the expression levels of the ${\alpha_IG} and {\alpha_IH}$ T-type channels. When currents were recorded in 10 mM $Ba^{2+}$ as the charge carrier, the activation thresholds were about -60 mV, peak currents appeared at -20 mV, and the reversal potentials were between +40 and +45. The activation time constants were very similar to each other, while the inactivation time constants of the ${\alpha_IG}$ currents were smaller than those of ${\alpha_IH}$. Taken together, the electrophysiological properties of the ${\alpha_IG} and {\alpha_IH}$ channels expressed in Xenopus oocytes were similar to the previously reported characteristics of low-threshold $Ca^{2+}$ channel currents.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제37권9호
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• pp.656-663
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• 2014

Gintonin, a novel, ginseng-derived G protein-coupled lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor ligand, elicits $[Ca^{2+}]_i$ transients in neuronal and non-neuronal cells via pertussis toxin-sensitive and pertussis toxin-insensitive G proteins. The slowly activating delayed rectifier $K^+$ ($I_{Ks}$) channel is a cardiac $K^+$ channel composed of KCNQ1 and KCNE1 subunits. The C terminus of the KCNQ1 channel protein has two calmodulin-binding sites that are involved in regulating $I_{Ks}$ channels. In this study, we investigated the molecular mechanisms of gintonin-mediated activation of human $I_{Ks}$ channel activity by expressing human $I_{Ks}$ channels in Xenopus oocytes. We found that gintonin enhances $I_{Ks}$ channel currents in concentration- and voltage-dependent manners. The $EC_{50}$ for the $I_{Ks}$ channel was $0.05{\pm}0.01{\mu}g/ml$. Gintonin-mediated activation 1 of the $I_{Ks}$ channels was blocked by an LPA1/3 receptor antagonist, an active phospholipase C inhibitor, an $IP_3$ receptor antagonist, and the calcium chelator BAPTA. Gintonin-mediated activation of both the $I_{Ks}$ channel was also blocked by the calmodulin (CaM) blocker calmidazolium. Mutations in the KCNQ1 $[Ca^{2+}]_i$/CaM-binding IQ motif sites (S373P, W392R, or R539W)blocked the action of gintonin on $I_{Ks}$ channel. However, gintonin had no effect on hERG $K^+$ channel activity. These results show that gintonin-mediated enhancement of $I_{Ks}$ channel currents is achieved through binding of the $[Ca^{2+}]_i$/CaM complex to the C terminus of KCNQ1 subunit.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• 제25권8호
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• pp.1371-1379
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• 2015

The Ca_v1.2 Ca²⁺ channel is essential for cardiac and smooth muscle contractility and many physiological functions. We mutated single, double, and quadruple sites of the four potential Asn (N)-glycosylation sites in the rabbit Ca_v1.2 into Gln (Q) to explore the effects of Nglycosylation. When a single mutant (N124Q, N299Q, N1359Q, or N1410Q) or Ca_v1.2/WT was expressed in Xenopus oocytes, the biophysical properties of single mutants were not significantly different from Ca_v1.2/WT. In comparison, the double mutant N124,299Q showed a positive shift in voltage-dependent gating. Furthermore, the quadruple mutant (QM; N124,299,1359,1410Q) showed a positive shift in voltage-dependent gating as well as a reduction of current. We tagged EGFP to the QM, double mutants, and Ca_v1.2/WT to chase the mechanisms underlying the reduced currents of QM. The surface fluorescence intensity of QM was weaker than that of Ca_v1.2/WT, suggesting that the reduced current of QM arises from its lower surface expression than Ca_v1.2/WT. Tunicamycin treatment of oocytes expressing Ca_v1.2/WT mimicked the effects of the quadruple mutations. These findings suggest that Nglycosylation contributes to the surface expression and voltage-dependent gating of Ca_v1.2.

• Molecules and Cells
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• 제37권11호
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• pp.804-811
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• 2014

The protease-activated receptor (PAR)-2 is highly expressed in endothelial cells and vascular smooth muscle cells. It plays a crucial role in regulating blood pressure via the modulation of peripheral vascular tone. Although several mechanisms have been suggested to explain PAR-2-induced hypotension, the precise mechanism remains to be elucidated. To investigate this possibility, we investigated the effects of PAR-2 activation on N-type $Ca^{2+}$ currents ($I_{Ca-N}$) in isolated neurons of the celiac ganglion (CG), which is involved in the sympathetic regulation of mesenteric artery vascular tone. PAR-2 agonists irreversibly diminished voltage-gated $Ca^{2+}$ currents ($I_{Ca}$), measured using the patch-clamp method, in rat CG neurons, whereas thrombin had little effect on $I_{Ca}$. This PAR-2-induced inhibition was almost completely prevented by ${\omega}$-CgTx, a potent N-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel blocker, suggesting the involvement of N-type $Ca^{2+}$ channels in PAR-2-induced inhibition. In addition, PAR-2 agonists inhibited $I_{Ca-N}$ in a voltage-independent manner in rat CG neurons. Moreover, PAR-2 agonists reduced action potential (AP) firing frequency as measured using the current-clamp method in rat CG neurons. This inhibition of AP firing induced by PAR-2 agonists was almost completely prevented by ${\omega}$-CgTx, indicating that PAR-2 activation may regulate the membrane excitability of peripheral sympathetic neurons through modulation of N-type $Ca^{2+}$ channels. In conclusion, the present findings demonstrate that the activation of PAR-2 suppresses peripheral sympathetic outflow by modulating N-type $Ca^{2+}$ channel activity, which appears to be involved in PAR-2-induced hypotension, in peripheral sympathetic nerve terminals.

• 대한약리학회지
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• 제32권1호
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• pp.39-49
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• 1996

본 실험에서는 흰쥐의 뇌 기저동맥을 이용하여 $K^+$과 U46619에 의한 수축과 세포내 $Ca^{2+}$의 변동을 관찰하고, 이들 반응을 CGRP 전처치시 나타나는 반응과 비교하였다. CGRP (30과 100 nM)는 U46619에 의하여 야기된 수축반응과 세포내 $Ca^{2+}$의 증가반응을 억제시켰으나, $K^+$ (90 mM)에 의하여 나타나는 반응에는 영향을 미치지 아니하였다. 게다가, U46619에 의하여 야기되는 장력에 대하여 세포내 $Ca^{2+}$의 변동 $(F_{340}/F_{380})$을 도표화하여 세포내 $Ca^{2+}$ 농도와 장력의 발생과의 상관관계를 검토하고, 이들 결과를 CGRP 전처치시 나타나는 결과와 비교하였다. CGRP (30과 100 nM) 전처치군에서 얻어진 직선이 오른쪽으로 치우치지는 않으면서 아래쪽으로 이동하는 점으로 볼 때, CGRP가 $Ca^{2+}$에 대한 수축기구의 감수성에는 영향을 미치지 않으면서 세포내 $Ca^{2+}$ 농도를 저하시킴에 의하여 U46619에 의한 근수축반응을 억제시키는 것으로 보여진다. 이러한 CGRP의 효과는 CGRP1 수용체 길항제인 CGRP$(8{\sim}37)$ 분획(100 nM)의 전처치시 현저히 억제되었다. CGRP에 의한 수축력과 세포내 $Ca^{2+}$의 저하는 large conductance $Ca^{2+}$에 의하여 활성화되는 $K^+$ 통로 봉쇄제인 charybdotoxin (100 nM)과 iberiotoxin (100 nM)의 전처치에 의하여 완전하게 역전되었으나, small conductance $Ca^{2+}$에 의하여 활성화되는 $K^+$ 통로 봉쇄제인 apamin (300 nM)과 ATP에 감수성이 높은 $K^+$ 통로 봉쇄제인 glibenclamide (1 ${\mu}M$)에 의해서는 영향을 받지 아니하였다. 이상의 결과로 볼 때 CGRP1 수용체는 $Ca^{2+}$에 의하여 활성화되는 $K^+$ 통로를 개방시킴으로 세포내 $Ca^{2+}$을 감소시켜 뇌 기저동맥의 이완반응을 매개하는 것으로 사료된다.