Reopening of L-type calcium channels in human ventricular myocytes during applied epicardial action potentials.
OBJECTIVE
Present study was performed to compare the dynamics of human L-type calcium current (ICa,L) flowing during rectangular voltage pulses, voltage ramps, and action potentials (APs) recorded from epicardiac and endocardiac canine ventricular cells.


METHODS
ICa,L was recorded in single myocytes isolated from undiseased human hearts using the whole cell voltage clamp technique.


RESULTS
The decay of ICa,L was monotonic when using rectangular pulses or endocardial APs as voltage commands, whereas the current became double-peaked (displaying a second rise and fall) during epicardial (EPI) APs or voltage ramps used to mimic EPI APs. These ICa,L profiles were associated with single-hooked and double-hooked phase-plane trajectories, respectively. No sustained current was observed during the AP commands. Kinetics of deactivation and recovery from inactivation of human ICa,L were determined using twin-pulse voltage protocols and voltage ramps, and the results were similar to those obtained previously in canine cells under identical experimental conditions.


CONCLUSIONS
ICa,L can inactivate partially before and deactivate during the phase-1 repolarization of the epicardiac AP, and reopening of these channels seems to be associated with formation of the dome.
Fülöp
L
L
Department of Physiology, University Medical School of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary.
Bányász
T
T
Magyar
J
J
Szentandrássy
N
N
Varró
A
A
Nánási
P P
PP
D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type / Q000502:physiology*; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D032342:Muscle Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques / Q000379:methods; D013997:Time Factors; D016276:Ventricular Function
D020746:Calcium Channels, L-Type