Cl⁻ channels: what role do they play in mammalian heart?
Cl(-) channel has been identified in heart over more than a decade. It is now known that Cl(-) channel is a super-family. The potentially important roles of cardiac Cl(-) channels have been emerging. Cardiac Cl(-) channels may play multifunctional roles in both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Since the existence and distribution of cardiac Cl(-) channels vary with species and cardiac tissues, and blockade of Cl (-) channel with putative Cl(-) channel blockers or Cl(-) substitution has profound influence on cardiac electrical properties, it appears that the main role of cardiac Cl(-) channels may be to modulate cation channels or provide an ionic environment suitable for the activities of cation channels. So, to investigate the relationship between Cl(-) channels and cation channels may be of physiological and pathophysiological significance.
Zhou
Shi-Sheng
SS
Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Physiology, Medical College, Dalian University, Dalian 116622, China. zhouss@dlu.edu.cn
D000818:Animals; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000502:physiology; D002412:Cations / Q000378:metabolism*; D018118:Chloride Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D015221:Potassium Channels / Q000502:physiology; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000502:physiology; D050053:TRPM Cation Channels / Q000502:physiology
D015220:Calcium Channels; D002412:Cations; D018118:Chloride Channels; D015221:Potassium Channels; D015222:Sodium Channels; D050053:TRPM Cation Channels