Effect of hypercholesterolaemia on voltage-operated calcium channel currents in rabbit arterial smooth muscle cells

Abstract

Cholesterol is a major component of cell membranes and influences membrane fluidity. Watanabe heritable hyperpercholesterolaemic rabbits (WHHL) possess defective receptors for low density lipoprotein leading to increased plasma cholesterol, accumulation of cholesterol in the arterial wall and atherosclerosis. In this study calcium channel currents (I Ba ) were compared using conventional whole cell voltage clamp techniques in ear artery cells isolated from control New Zealand White rabbits (NZ) with those from WHHL. I Ba were larger in cells isolated from NZ than from WHHL, however cell

Cellular and molecular effects of hyperglycemia on ion channels in vascular smooth muscle

“…These differences are likely a reflection of the use of different vascular beds, cultured versus freshly isolated cells, and presumably the magnitude and duration of the hyperglycemic state. Moreover, the discrepancies in L-type Ca 2+ channel activity could be associated to the specific animal model and concomitant metabolic abnormalities, such as hypercholesterolemia [116,117] and hyperinsulinemia, [118] which could affect channel function. Table 3 summarizes the effects of diabetic hyperglycemia on vascular smooth muscle L-type Ca 2+ channels.…”