Abstract
Endothelin (ET), a newly identified vasoconstrictor peptide produced by endothelial cells, depends on extracellular calcium for its action [(1988) Nature 332, 411-415]. It is not yet known whether the increase in calcium influx induced by ET results from a direct effect on the Ca2+ channels or is secondary to a reduction in membrane potential. To address this question, we studied the effects of ET on single-channel calcium currents of freshly dissociated porcine coronary artery smooth muscle cells using the cell-attached mode of the patch-clamp technique. We show that ET increases Cal+-channel activity with no effect on channel open time or conductance. The ability of bath-applied ET to increase single-channel calcium currents in the cell-attached mode is evidence that the peptide acts via a second messenger system.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 68-72 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | FEBS Letters |
Volume | 247 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 10 Apr 1989 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- (Vascular smooth muscle, Coronary artery)
- Ca channel
- Endothelin
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Biophysics
- Structural Biology
- Biochemistry
- Molecular Biology
- Genetics
- Cell Biology