Voltage-Gated Potassium+ Channel Expression in Coronary Artery Smooth Muscle Cells of SHR and WKY

This study aims to compare the expression of genes and the molecular characteristic of voltage-gated K+ channels, which make great effort in maintaining and controlling smooth muscle contraction, cellular membrane potential, and intracellular calcium ion currents in artery smooth muscle cells of SHR and WKY. Expression of potassium ions family in coronary artery was detected through reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction quantitatively. Significant levels of voltage-gated K+ channels alpha 1.2, alpha 1.5, and beta 1.1 expression were all proved to be significantly higher in smooth muscles of SHR than WKY. Whole-cell voltage-gated K+ channel currents were larger in SHR artery smooth muscles than the ones of WKY. Moreover, the voltage dependence of voltage-gated potassium channel activation was more negative in artery smooth muscle of SHR than that of WKY, while voltage dependence of availability was not different. The above diversity of voltage-gated potassium channel detected in gene expression and electrical character in coronary artery smooth muscle of SHR than that of WKY might be an underling mechanism associated with the membrane potential depolarization in artery smooth muscle of SHR.