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PubMed2006

Modeling of IK1 mutations in human left ventricular myocytes and tissue.

Elucidation of the cellular basis of arrhythmias in ion channelopathy disorders is complicated by the inherent difficulties in studying human cardiac tissue. Thus we used a computer modeling approach to study the mechanisms of cellular dysfunction induced by mutations in inward rectifier potassium channel (K(ir))2.1 that cause Andersen-Tawil syndrome (ATS). ATS is an autosomal dominant disorder associated with ventricular arrhythmias that uncommonly degenerate into the lethal arrhythmia torsade de pointes. We simulated the cellular and tissue effects of a potent disease-causing mutation D71V K(ir)2.1 with mathematical models of human ventricular myocytes and a bidomain model of transmural conduction. The D71V K(ir)2.1 mutation caused significant action potential duration prolongation in subendocardial, midmyocardial, and subepicardial myocytes but did not significantly increase transmural dispersion of repolarization. Simulations of the D71V mutation at shorter cycle lengths induced stable action potential alternans in midmyocardial, but not subendocardial or subepicardial cells. The action potential alternans was manifested as an abbreviated QRS complex in the transmural ECG, the result of action potential propagation failure in the midmyocardial tissue. In addition, our simulations of D71V mutation recapitulate several key ECG features of ATS, including QT prolongation, T-wave flattening, and QRS widening. Thus our modeling approach faithfully recapitulates several features of ATS and provides a mechanistic explanation for the low frequency of torsade de pointes arrhythmia in ATS.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1996

Ion channel expression in PMA-differentiated human THP-1 macrophages.

Ion channel expression was studied in THP-1 human monocytic leukemia cells induced to differentiate into macrophage-like cells by exposure to the phorbol ester, phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA). Inactivating delayed rectifier K+ currents, IDR, present in almost all undifferentiated THP-1 monocytes, were absent from PMA-differentiated macrophages. Two K+ channels were observed in THP-1 cells only after differentiation into macrophages, an inwardly rectifying K+ channel (IIR) and a Ca2+-activated maxi-K channel (IBK). IIR was a classical inward rectifier, conducting large inward currents negative to EK and very small outward currents. IIR was blocked in a voltage-dependent manner by Cs+, Na+, and Ba2+, block increasing with hyperpolarization. Block by Na+ and Ba2+ was time-dependent, whereas Cs+ block was too fast to resolve. Rb+ was sparingly permeant. In cell-attached patches with high [K+] in the pipette, the single IIR channel conductance was approximately 30 pS and no outward current could be detected. IBK channels were observed in cell-attached or inside-out patches and in whole-cell configuration. In cell-attached patches the conductance was approximately 200-250 pS and at potentials positive to approximately 100 mV a negative slope conductance of the unitary current was observed, suggesting block by intracellular Na+. IBK was activated at large positive potentials in cell-attached patches; in inside-out patches the voltage-activation relationship was shifted to more negative potentials by increased [Ca2+]. Macroscopic IBK was blocked by external TEA+ with half block at 0.35 mM. THP-1 cells were found to contain mRNA for Kv1.3 and IRK1. Levels of mRNA coding for these K+ channels were studied by competitive PCR (polymerase chain reaction), and were found to change upon differentiation in the same direction as did channel expression: IRK1 mRNA increased at least 5-fold, and Kv1.3 mRNA decreased on average 7-fold. Possible functional correlates of the changes in ion channel expression during differentiation of THP-1 cells are discussed.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed2003

Andersen mutations of KCNJ2 suppress the native inward rectifier current IK1 in a dominant-negative fashion.

OBJECTIVE: The Andersen's syndrome is a hereditary disease, which is characterized by cardiac arrhythmias, periodic paralysis and dysmorphic features. Recently, mutations of the KCNJ2 gene, which encodes the inward rectifying potassium channel subunit Kir2.1, have been identified in affected individuals. However, the functional effects of these mutations have not yet been fully elucidated. METHODS AND RESULTS: To clarify this situation we generated known Andersen disease mutants of KCNJ2 which did not yield any measurable K(+) currents in CHO cells indicating that the Andersen mutants failed to form functional homomultimeric complexes. EGFP-tagged KCNJ2 wild-type and mutant channels distributed in a similar homogeneous pattern in the cell membrane suggesting that protein trafficking was not altered by the Andersen mutations but rather implicating that the mutations rendered the KCNJ2 channel non-functional. In heterologous coexpression experiments the Andersen mutants exerted a dominant-negative effect on wild-type KCNJ2. However, the extent of suppression varied between the different KCNJ2 mutants. Given our results in CHO cells, we expressed the disease mutant KCNJ2-S136F in neonate rat cardiomyocytes using adenoviral gene transfer to test the effect of Andersen mutants on native I(K1). I(K1) density was indeed significantly reduced in KCNJ2-S136F-infected cells (n=9) compared to control cells (n=9) over a voltage range from -70 to -150 mV (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: These results support that Kir2.x channels are a critical component of native I(K1) in neonate rat cardiomyocytes and that a dominant-negative suppression of I(K1) in native cells is the pathophysiological correlate of the Andersen's syndrome.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Immuno-localization of sulphonylurea receptor 1 in rat pancreas.

AIMS/HYPOTHESIS: A sulphonylurea receptor, SUR1, and an inward rectifier potassium channel, Kir6.2, reconstitute the ATP-sensitive K(+) channel that mediates glucose-induced insulin secretion in pancreatic beta cells. We reported previously that Kir6.2 were localized at insulin-, glucagon-, and somatostatin-producing cells. In this new study we aimed to determine the distribution of SUR1 in rat pancreatic islets and to suggest the location of the ATP-sensitive K(+) channels in the islet. METHODS: Western blot analysis was carried out using two anti-SUR1 antibodies, which had been raised against different portions of rat SUR1. SUR1, Kir 6.2, and islet hormones were then localized by indirect immunofluorescence staining of the cryosections of rat pancreas. RESULTS: In Western blot analysis, each of the anti-SUR1 antibodies detected a band at 140 kDa, which is close to the predicted molecular weight of SUR1, in the homogenate of isolated pancreatic islets. Double immunofluorescence staining of cryosections showed that SUR1 occurred all over the islets, and that SUR1 colocalized with insulin, glucagon, somatostatin, and pancreatic polypeptide. Kir6.2 was also shown to be present in pancreatic polypeptide cells. CONCLUSION/INTERPRETATION: Together with our previously reported data, the above findings indicate that K(ATP) channels comprising SUR1 and Kir6.2 occur not only in beta cells but also in the alpha, delta, and pancreatic polypeptide cells of the pancreatic islets, suggesting that therapeutic sulphonylureas could act on these cells directly. [Diabetologia (1999) 42: 1204-1211]

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗
PubMed2006

Cellular basis for electrocardiographic and arrhythmic manifestations of Andersen-Tawil syndrome (LQT7).

BACKGROUND: Andersen-Tawil syndrome, a skeletal muscle syndrome associated with periodic paralysis and long QT intervals on the ECG, has been linked to defects in KCNJ2, the gene encoding for the inward rectifier potassium channel (I(K1).) OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to examine the cellular mechanisms underlying the ECG and arrhythmic manifestations of Andersen-Tawil syndrome. METHODS: To investigate the effects of KCNJ2 loss-of-function mutations responsible for Andersen-Tawil syndrome, we used barium chloride (BaCl(2)) to inhibit I(K1) in arterially perfused wedge preparation. Transmembrane action potentials (APs) were simultaneously recorded from endocardial, midmyocardial, and epicardial cells, together with a transmural ECG. RESULTS: BaCl(2) (1 to 30 microM) produced a concentration-dependent prolongation of the QT interval, secondary to a homogeneous prolongation of AP duration of the three cell types. QT interval was prolonged without an increase in transmural dispersion of repolarization (TDR). Low extracellular potassium (2.0 mM), isoproterenol (20-50 nM), and an abrupt increase in temperature (36 degrees C-39 degrees C) in the presence of 10 microM BaCl(2) did not significantly increase TDR but increased ectopic extrasystolic activity. Early afterdepolarizations were not observed under any condition. Spontaneous torsades de pointes arrhythmias were never observed, nor could they be induced with programmed electrical stimulation under any of the conditions studied. CONCLUSION: Our results provide an understanding of why QT prolongation associated with Andersen-Tawil syndrome is relatively benign in the clinic and provide further support for the hypothesis that the increase in TDR, rather than QT interval, is responsible for development of torsades de pointes.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed2004

Molecular basis of Kir6.2 mutations associated with neonatal diabetes or neonatal diabetes plus neurological features.

Inwardly rectifying potassium channels (Kir channels) control cell membrane K(+) fluxes and electrical signaling in diverse cell types. Heterozygous mutations in the human Kir6.2 gene (KCNJ11), the pore-forming subunit of the ATP-sensitive (K(ATP)) channel, cause permanent neonatal diabetes mellitus (PNDM). For some mutations, PNDM is accompanied by marked developmental delay, muscle weakness, and epilepsy (severe disease). To determine the molecular basis of these different phenotypes, we expressed wild-type or mutant (R201C, Q52R, or V59G) Kir6.2/sulfonylurea receptor 1 channels in Xenopus oocytes. All mutations increased resting whole-cell K(ATP) currents by reducing channel inhibition by ATP, but, in the simulated heterozygous state, mutations causing PNDM alone (R201C) produced smaller K(ATP) currents and less change in ATP sensitivity than mutations associated with severe disease (Q52R and V59G). This finding suggests that increased K(ATP) currents hyperpolarize pancreatic beta cells and impair insulin secretion, whereas larger K(ATP) currents are required to influence extrapancreatic cell function. We found that mutations causing PNDM alone impair ATP sensitivity directly (at the binding site), whereas those associated with severe disease act indirectly by biasing the channel conformation toward the open state. The effect of the mutation on ATP sensitivity in the heterozygous state reflects the different contributions of a single subunit in the Kir6.2 tetramer to ATP inhibition and to the energy of the open state. Our results also show that mutations in the slide helix of Kir6.2 (V59G) influence the channel kinetics, providing evidence that this domain is involved in Kir channel gating, and suggest that the efficacy of sulfonylurea therapy in PNDM may vary with genotype.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗
PubMed2001

Analysis of linkage disequilibrium between polymorphisms in the KCNJ9 gene with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Pima Indians.

The KCNJ9 gene encodes a G-protein-coupled inwardly rectifying potassium channel and is located within a region on human chromosome 1 that has been linked with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Pima Indians and Caucasians. To assess the potential contribution of genetic alterations within KCNJ9 to diabetes susceptibility in the Pimas, we have genotyped 11 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 50 Pimas with diabetes and 50 Pimas over the age of 45 without diabetes and in 51 sib pairs, discordant for the disease, who were characterized by decreased allele sharing at the chromosomal location of the maximum LOD score. We detected three SNP clusters exhibiting distinct linkage disequilibria. Polymorphisms in intron 2, exon 3, and the 3'-UTR were in statistically significant linkage disequilibrium with diabetes in the case-control group (P = 0.006), but not the sibling pairs (P = 0.097). A weak association with diabetes was also found in the original linkage set comprising 1150 Pimas (odds ratio = 0.64/P = 0.079 for a dominant model and OR = 0.67/P = 0.005 for a recessive model). However, no effect on linkage was detected following adjustment for one of the most strongly associated SNPs in the entire original linkage set. Our results indicate that variants in KCNJ9 are associated with diabetes in Pimas but do not account for the linkage of 1q with diabetes in this population.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Mutations in the sulfonylurea receptor gene in relation to the long-term outcome of persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of infancy.

BACKGROUND: A 95% pancreatectomy has become the mainstay of surgical therapy for patients with persistent hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia of infancy (PHHI) who did not respond to medical therapy. However, a high incidence of diabetes recently has been reported after a 95% pancreatectomy. Mutations of the SUR1 (sulfonylurea receptor) or Kir 6.2 (inwardly rectifying potassium channel) genes also have been detected in some patients with nesidioblastosis. METHODS: Six infants underwent a subtotal pancreatectomy (about 80%) for the initial surgical treatment of PHHI between 1 and 6 months of age. The clinical follow-up ranged from 2 years to 23 years (mean, 14 years). Mutations of the SUR1 and Kir 6.2 genes were examined in whole exons by the PCR-SSPC method using DNA extracted from white blood cells. RESULTS: SUR1 mutations were found in 5 of the 6 cases (83.3%), whereas no Kir 6.2 mutations were detected. Four of the 5 cases were found to have hetero-type mutations. These 4 cases and the 1 case without mutation were a pathologically focal type (head, 1; body, 2; tail, 2) and showed euglycemia after the operation. The other case was found to have a homo-type mutation and was pathologically diffuse. This case showed hypoglycemia and required medical treatment for several years. Diabetes developed 10 years after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: In the patients with either a hetero-type mutation or no mutation of the SUR1 gene, a focal type is suspected, whereas a homo-type mutation is considered to be associated with a diffuse type and also is a predictor of poor blood sugar control and a tendency toward diabetes. A genetic analysis of the SUR1 gene using peripheral white blood cells is considered a useful parameter to determine the optimal surgical strategy for the treatment of PHHI.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗
PubMed2006

Functional and clinical characterization of a mutation in KCNJ2 associated with Andersen-Tawil syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Andersen-Tawil syndrome (ATS) is a rare inherited disorder, characterised by periodic paralysis, cardiac dysarrhythmias, and dysmorphic features, and is caused by mutations in the gene KCNJ2, which encodes the inward rectifier potassium channel, Kir2.1. This study sought to analyse KCNJ2 in patients with familial ATS and to determine the functional characteristics of the mutated gene. METHODS AND RESULTS: We screened a family with inherited ATS for the mutation in KCNJ2, using direct DNA sequencing. A missense mutation (T75R) of Kir2.1, located in the highly conserved cytoplasmic N-terminal domain, was identified in three affected members of this family. Using the Xenopus oocyte expression system and whole cell voltage clamp analyses, we found that the T75R mutant was non-functional and possessed a strong dominant negative effect when co-expressed with the same amount of wild type Kir2.1. Transgenic (Tg) mice expressing the mutated form of Kir2.1 in the heart had prolonged QTc intervals compared with mice expressing the wild type protein. Ventricular tachyarrhythmias were observed in 5 of 14 T75R-Tg mice compared with 1 of 7 Wt-Tg and none of 6 non-transgenic littermates. In three of five T75R-Tg mice with ventricular tachycardia, their ECG disclosed bidirectional tachycardia as in our proband. CONCLUSIONS: The in vitro studies revealed that the T75R mutant of Kir2.1 had a strong dominant negative effect in the Xenopus oocyte expression system. It still preserved the ability to co-assemble and traffic to the cell membrane in mammalian cells. For in vivo studies, the T75R-Tg mice had bidirectional ventricular tachycardia after induction and longer QT intervals.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Amino acid polymorphisms in the ATP-regulatable inward rectifier Kir6.2 and their relationships to glucose- and tolbutamide-induced insulin secretion, the insulin sensitivity index, and NIDDM.

Kir6.2 is an inwardly rectifying potassium channel that is expressed in pancreatic beta-cells and cardiac and skeletal muscle. Expressed together with the high-affinity sulphonylurea receptor, it reconstitutes a sulphonylurea- and also ATP-sensitive potassium channel resembling the native beta-cell channel. The objective of this study was to search for mutations in the Kir6.2 gene that might be associated with NIDDM or related to altered insulin secretion, insulin action, or glucose metabolism in healthy subjects. Using polymerase chain reaction-single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis (PCR-SSCP) on genomic DNA from 69 Danish NIDDM patients and 66 matched control subjects, we report the finding of three missense polymorphisms in otherwise conserved codons and three silent polymorphisms in the gene encoding Kir6.2: codon 23 (GAG/AAG), Glu-->Lys; codon 190 (GCT/GCC), Ala-->Ala; codon 267 (CTC/CTG), Leu-->Leu; codon 270 (CTG/GTG), Leu-->Val; codon 337 (ATC/GTC), Ile-->Val; codon 381 (AAG/AAA), Lys-->Lys. The codon 23 and codon 337 amino acid polymorphisms were always coupled. The allelic frequencies of the polymorphisms were similar in NIDDM patients and control subjects. The amino acid polymorphisms were not associated with altered insulin secretion after intravenous glucose or tolbutamide injections or with altered glucose effectiveness in a phenotype study of 346 young healthy subjects. However, carriers of the maximal load of amino acid variants, the compound homozygous codon 23/337 and heterozygous codon 270, had on average a 62% higher insulin sensitivity index (P = 0.006), compared with noncarriers. We conclude that a combination of common Kir6.2 amino acid variants may contribute to the genetic background behind the large variation of the insulin sensitivity index in the general population.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed2004

Hyperinsulinism of infancy: novel ABCC8 and KCNJ11 mutations and evidence for additional locus heterogeneity.

Hyperinsulinism of infancy is a genetically heterogeneous disease characterized by dysregulation of insulin secretion resulting in severe hypoglycemia. To date, mutations in five different genes, the sulfonylurea receptor (SUR1, ABCC8), the inward rectifying potassium channel (K(IR)6.2, KCNJ11), glucokinase (GCK), glutamate dehydrogenase (GLUD1), and short-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase (SCHAD), have been implicated. Previous reports suggest that, in 40% of patients, no mutation can be identified in any of these genes, suggesting additional locus heterogeneity. However, previous studies did not screen all five genes using direct sequencing, the most sensitive technique available for mutation detection. We selected 15 hyperinsulinism of infancy patients and systematically sequenced the promoter and all coding exons and intron/exon boundaries of ABCC8 and KCNJ11. If no mutation was identified, the coding sequence and intron/exon boundaries of GCK, GLUD1, and SCHAD were sequenced. Seven novel mutations were found in the ABCC8 coding region, one mutation was found in the KCNJ11 coding region, and one novel mutation was found in each of the two promoter regions screened. Functional studies on beta-cells from six patients showed abnormal ATP-sensitive K+ channel function in five of the patients; the sixth had normal channel activity, and no mutations were found. Photolabeling studies using a reconstituted system showed that all missense mutations altered intracellular trafficking. Each of the promoter mutations decreased expression of a reporter gene by about 60% in a heterologous expression system. In four patients (27%), no mutations were identified. Thus, further genetic heterogeneity is suggested in this disorder. These patients represent a cohort that can be used for searching for mutations in other candidate genes.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗
PubMed2006

I(Kr) contributes to the altered ventricular repolarization that determines long-term cardiac memory.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiac memory (CM) is characterized by an altered T-wave morphology, which reflects altered repolarization gradients. We hypothesized that the delayed rectifier currents, I(Kr) and I(Ks), might contribute to these repolarization changes. METHODS: We studied conscious, chronically instrumented dogs paced from the postero-lateral left ventricular (LV) wall at rates 5-10% faster than sinus rate for 3 weeks. ECGs during sinus rhythm were recorded on days 0, 7, 14 and 21 of pacing. Within 3 weeks, CM achieved steady state, hearts were excised, and epicardial and endocardial tissues and myocytes were studied. RESULTS: In unpaced controls, action potential duration to 50% and 90% repolarization (APD) in epicardium was shorter than in endocardium (P < 0.05); in CM epicardial APD increased at CL > or = 500 ms, while endocardial APD was either unchanged or decreased such that the transmural gradient seen in controls diminished (P < 0.05). A transmural I(Kr) gradient occurred in controls (epicardium>endocardium, P < 0.05) and was reversed in CM. No I(Ks) transmural gradient was found in controls, while in CM endocardial I(Ks) was greater than epicardial at greater than +50 mV. Canine ERG (cERG) mRNA and protein in epicardium > endocardium in controls (P < 0.05), and this difference was lost in CM. Expression levels of KCNQ1 and KCNE1 protein were similar in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: A transcriptionally induced change in epicardial I(Kr) contributes to the altered ventricular repolarization that characterizes CM.

Action Potentials↗
PubMed1998

Long-term exposure to retinoic acid induces the expression of IRK1 channels in HERG channel-endowed neuroblastoma cells.

The modulation of inward K+ conductances was studied during neuronal differentiation of human SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells. Under standard culture conditions, these cells express the herg gene, and the HERG current is the main inward K+ current regulating their Vrest. After 10-20 days exposure to Retinoic Acid (RA), SH-SY5Y cells showed, in addition to HERG currents, a novel current characterized by inward rectification, dependence on the extracellular K+ concentration, and blockade by Cs+ and Ba2+, the main features of the IRK1 current. The appearance of this current is accompanied by a strong hyperpolarisation of Vrest. RT-PCR experiments confirmed that a transcript of the IRK1 (Kir 2.1) gene actually appears in SH-SY5Y cells treated for 10-20 days with RA. On the whole, data here presented demonstrate that RA-induced neuronal differentiation of neuroblastoma cells is accompanied by the switch from a HERG-driven to a IRK1-driven control of Vrest, similarly to what happens in normal differentiating neurons; however, in tumor cells, this switch does not imply the abolition of HERG channel expression.

Cation Transport Proteins↗
PubMed2004

The systemic inflammatory response is involved in the regulation of K(+) channel expression in brain via TNF-alpha-dependent and -independent pathways.

TNF-alpha, generated during the systemic inflammatory response, triggers a wide range of biological activities that mediate the neurologic manifestations associated with cancer and infection. Since this cytokine regulates ion channels in vitro (especially Kv1.3 and Kir2.1), we aimed to study Kv1.3 and Kir2.1 expression in brain in response to in vivo systemic inflammation. Cancer-induced cachexia and LPS administration increased plasma TNF-alpha. Kv1.3 and Kir2.1 expression was impaired in brain during cancer cachexia. However, LPS treatment induced Kv1.3 and downregulated Kir2.1 expression, and TNF-alpha administration mimicked these results. Experiments using TNF-alpha double receptor knockout mice demonstrated that the systemic inflammatory response mediates K(+) channel regulation in brain via TNF-alpha-dependent and -independent redundant pathways. In summary, distinct neurological alterations associated with systemic inflammation may result from the interaction of various cytokine pathways tuning ion channel expression in response to neurophysiological and neuroimmunological processes.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Risperidone reduces mRNA expression levels of Sulfonylurea Receptor 1 and TASK1 in PC12 cells.

Electrophysiological and immunohistochemical studies have demonstrated that glucose-sensing neurons in the hypothalamus contain both ATP-sensitive K(+) (K(ATP)) and tandem-pore K(+) (TASK1 and TASK3) channels and that glucose-induced depolarization or hyperpolarization of these neurons function as an important link between glucose-excited or glucose-inhibited neurons and feeding behavior. Medication with atypical antipsychotics increases the appetite of schizophrenic patients and thus causes increases in body weight. Therefore, the present study investigates mRNA expression levels of the genes encoding the components of these K(+) channel subsets in PC12 cells cultured with risperidone (an atypical antipsychotic) and in the hypothalami of rats subcutaneously injected for 21 consecutive days with 0.1 or 0.01 mg/kg/day of risperidone. The mRNA expression levels of various genes were not obviously altered in rat hypothalami. However, the mRNA expression levels for sulfonylurea receptor 1, a component affording nucleotide-binding folds to K(ATP) channels, and TASK1 were down-regulated in PC12 cells cultured with 50 microM risperidone for 24h, but the amount of intracellular ATP in these cells was not affected by the drug. Collectively, these results indicate that the amplitude of the current through these K(+) channels in PC12 cells might be modulated as a pharmacological effect of risperidone.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗
PubMed2005

The S4 voltage sensor packs against the pore domain in the KAT1 voltage-gated potassium channel.

In voltage-gated ion channels, the S4 transmembrane segment responds to changes in membrane potential and controls channel opening. The local environment of S4 is still unknown, even regarding the basic question as to whether S4 is close to the pore domain. Relying on the ability of functional KAT1 channels to rescue potassium (K+) transport-deficient yeast, we have performed an unbiased mutagenesis screen aimed at determining whether S4 packs against S5 of the pore domain. Starting with semilethal mutations of surface-exposed S5 residues of the KAT1 pore domain, we have screened randomly mutagenized libraries of S4 or S1-S3 for second-site suppressors. Our study identifies two S4 residues that interact in a highly specific manner with two S5 residues in the middle of the membrane-spanning regions, supporting a model in which the S4 voltage sensor packs against the pore domain in the hyperpolarized, or "down," state of S4.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Mechanisms of vasoactive intestinal peptide-elicited coronary vasodilation in the isolated perfused rat heart.

The present study investigated the potential role of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) receptors, VPAC1 and VPAC2, in VIP-elicited coronary vasodilation of the isolated perfused rat heart. Additional studies determined the role of ATP-sensitive (K(ATP)) and voltage-gated K(+) (K(V)) channels in the VIP-elicited coronary vasodilation. Both the selective VPAC1 agonist, K15,R16,L27VIPl-7GRF8-27, and the selective VPAC2 agonist, RO25-1553, decreased coronary vascular resistance (CVR) in a dose-dependent manner, with EC(50) values of 1.67x10(-9)M and 7.11x10(-9)M, respectively (VPAC1 vs VPAC2 agonist, P<0.05). K15,R16,L27VIP1-7GRF8-27 and RO25-1553 maximally reduced CVR by -42+/-4% and -39+/-6% at 1x10(-8) and 3x10(-8)M, respectively. VIP at 1x10(-10)M decreased CVR by -14+/-2% in the absence (vehicle), by -11+/-3% in the presence of the nonselective VIP receptor antagonist VIP10-28 (1x10(-7)M; P>0.05 vs. vehicle) and by only -4+/-2% in the presence of the selective VPAC2 receptor antagonist PACAP6-38 (1x10(-7)M; P<0.05 vs. vehicle). In additional studies, VIP at 1x10(-10)M decreased CVR by -22+/-1% in the absence (control) and by only -10+/-2% in the presence of the nonselective K(+) channel blocker tetrabutylammonium (3x10(-4)M; P<0.05 vs. control). VIP reduced CVR by -4+/-1% in the presence of the K(ATP) channel blocker glibenclamide (3x10(-6)M; P<0.05 vs control) and by -28+/-2% in the presence of the K(V) channel blocker 4-aminopyridine (3x10(-4)M; P>0.05 vs control). Thus, selective VPAC1 and VPAC2 receptor activation in the coronary circulation produces vasodilation and the VIP-elicited coronary vasodilation involves activation of VPAC2 receptors and K(ATP) but not K(V) channels. In addition, VIP10-28 does not effectively block coronary vascular VIP receptors.

Animals↗