Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors modulate acetylation/deacetylation of histone and nonhistone proteins. They have been widely used for cancer treatment. However, there have been only a few studies investigating the effect of HDAC inhibitors on vascular tone regulation, most of which employed chronic treatment with HDAC inhibitors. In the present study, we found that two hydroxamate-based p...

The term excitation-coupled Ca(2+) entry (ECCE) designates the entry of extracellular Ca(2+) into skeletal muscle cells, which occurs in response to prolonged depolarization or pulse trains and depends on the presence of both the 1,4-dihydropyridine receptor (DHPR) in the plasma membrane and the type 1 ryanodine receptor in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membrane. The ECCE pathway is blocked b...

Understanding the regulation of L-type voltage-gated Ca(2+) current is an important component of elucidating the signaling capabilities of retinal amacrine cells. Here we ask how the cytosolic Ca(2+) environment and the balance of Ca(2+)-dependent effectors shape native L-type Ca(2+) channel function in these cells. To achieve this, whole cell voltage clamp recordings were made from cultured am...

In heart, a robust regulatory mechanism is required to counteract the regenerative Ca2+-induced Ca2+ release from the sarcoplasmic reticulum. Several mechanisms, including inactivation, adaptation, and stochastic closing of ryanodine receptors (RyRs) have been proposed, but no conclusive evidence has yet been provided. We probed the termination process of Ca2+ release by using a technique of im...

The unique voltage- and Ca2+-dependent K+ (BK) channel, prominently expressed in airway smooth muscle cells, has been suggested as an important effector in controlling airway contractility. Its deletion in mice depolarized resting membrane potential of tracheal cells, suggesting an increased open-probability of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels. While carbachol concentration-dependently increased the...