OBJECTIVES To investigate the situation of inwardly rectifying potassium channels Kir 2.1 and Kir 4.1 under hypo-xic conditions, and whether the A2A  receptor antagonist could modulate the mRNA expression of Kir 2.1 and Kir 4.1 channels in retinal Müller cells in vitro under hypoxic conditions. MATERIAL AND METHODS Müller cells were treated with 0.1 1, 10 and 100 µM of A2A  receptor antagonis...

Introduction: Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) plays a key role in the regulation of vascular tone and protection of blood vessels against endothelial dysfunction. Since the mechanism of salt impairing H2S-induced vascular relaxation is not fully clear, therefore this study was designed to investigate the role of potassium (K+) channels in the vasodilatory effects of exogenous H2S in rat aortic rings.&nb...

introduction: hydrogen sulfide (h2s) plays a key role in the regulation of vascular tone and protection of blood vessels against endothelial dysfunction. since the mechanism of salt impairing h2s-induced vascular relaxation is not fully clear, therefore this study was designed to investigate the role of potassium (k+) channels in the vasodilatory effects of exogenous h2s in rat aortic rings. ma...

Hypercholesterolemia is an independent risk factor for development of cardiovascular disease1 and has been demonstrated to impair endothelium-dependent and independent vasodilatation.2 However, the mechanisms responsible for changes in vascular reactivity and impaired blood flow regulation induced by hypercholesterolemia remain unclear. Previous studies in cultured endothelial cells have shown ...

Inwardly rectifying K(+) (Kir) channels allow K(+) to move more easily into rather than out of the cell. They have diverse physiological functions depending on their type and their location. There are seven Kir channel subfamilies that can be classified into four functional groups: classical Kir channels (Kir2.x) are constitutively active, G protein-gated Kir channels (Kir3.x) are regulated by ...

Inwardly rectifying potassium channels (Kir) are a special subset of potassium selective ion channels which pass potassium more easily into rather than out of the cell. These channels mediate a variety of cellular functions, including control of membrane resting potential, maintenance of potassium homeostasis and regulation of cellular metabolism. Given the existence of fifteen Kir genes in mam...

Phosphoinositides are critical regulators of ion channel and transporter activity. Defects in interactions of inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels with phosphoinositides lead to disease. ATP-sensitive K(+) channels (K(ATP)) are unique among Kir channels in that they serve as metabolic sensors, inhibited by ATP while stimulated by long-chain (LC) acyl-CoA. Here we show that K(ATP) are th...

1. In the vertebrate retina, the inwardly rectifying K+ (KIR) channels of the Müller (glial) cells are pathways for the redistribution of excess extracellular K+. Due to this role in K+ homeostasis, the activity of Müller cell KIR channels is likely to have significant functional consequences for the retina. In this study we asked whether intracellular ATP regulates the function of KIR channels...

The function of inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir) channels is highly diverse and therefore is tightly regulated by various environmental factors. In their article in this issue of Neuron, Rapedius et al. recognize a conserved structural mechanism for Kir channels gating by both pH and PIP2. In light of these findings and accumulated knowledge, PIP2 is suggested to have a common coregulatory role in ...

ATP-sensitive potassium channels are an octomeric complex of four pore-forming subunits of the Kir 6.0 family and four sulfonylurea receptors. The Kir 6.0 family consists of two known members, Kir 6.1 and Kir 6.2, with distinct functional properties. The tetrameric structure of the pore-forming domain leads to the possibility that mixed heteromultimers may form. In this study, we examine this b...