Chronic hypoxia alters effects of endothelin and angiotensin on K+ currents in pulmonary arterial myocytes
We tested the hypothesis that chronic hypoxia alters the regulation of K+ channels in intrapulmonary arterial smooth muscle cells (PASMCs). Charybdotoxin-insensitive, 4-aminopyridine-sensitive voltage-gated K+(KV,CI) and Ca2+-activated K+(KCa) currents were measured in freshly isolated PASMCs from rats exposed to 21 or 10% O2 for 17–21 days. In chronically hypoxic PASMCs, KV,CIcurrent was reduced and KCacurrent was enhanced. 4-Aminopyridine (10 mM) depolarized both normoxic and chronically hypoxic PASMCs, whereas charybdotoxin (100 nM) had no effect in either group. The inhibitory effect of endothelin (ET)-1 (10−7 M) on KV,CI current was significantly reduced in PASMCs from chronically hypoxic rats, whereas inhibition by angiotensin (ANG) II (10−7M) was enhanced. Neither ET-1 nor ANG II altered KCa current in normoxic PASMCs; however, both stimulated KCacurrent at positive potentials in chronically hypoxic PASMCs. These results suggest that although modulation of KV,CI and KCa channels by ET-1 and ANG II is altered by chronic hypoxia, the role of these channels in the regulation of resting membrane potential was not changed.