Circulation research
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Circulation research · Mar 2009
TRPC1 associates with BK(Ca) channel to form a signal complex in vascular smooth muscle cells.
TRPC1 (transient receptor potential canonical 1) is a Ca(2+)-permeable cation channel involved in diverse physiological function. TRPC1 may associate with other proteins to form a signaling complex, which is crucial for channel function. In the present study, we investigated the interaction between TRPC1 and large conductance Ca(2+)-sensitive K(+) channel (BK(Ca)). ⋯ Double-labeling immunocytochemistry showed that TRPC1 and BK(Ca) were colocalized in the same subcellular regions, mainly on the plasma membrane, in VSMCs. These data suggest that, TRPC1 physically associates with BK(Ca) in VSMCs and that Ca(2+) influx through TRPC1 activates BK(Ca) to induce membrane hyperpolarization. The hyperpolarizing effect of TRPC1-BK(Ca) coupling could serve to reduce agonist-induced membrane depolarization, thereby preventing excessive contraction of VSMCs to contractile agonists.
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Circulation research · Mar 2009
A novel role of microRNA in late preconditioning: upregulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and heat shock protein 70.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are noncoding RNAs of 18 to 24 nucleotides that are involved in posttranscriptional regulation of protein expression. Their role in ischemic preconditioning (IPC) is currently unknown. We hypothesized that miRNAs induced after IPC in the heart may create a preconditioned phenotype through upregulating proteins including endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS)/inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and heat shock protein (HSP)70, which are implicated in the late-phase protection of IPC. miRNAs were extracted from hearts of ICR mice following IPC. ⋯ HSF-1 (heat shock transcription factor 1) and HSP70 were also increased with IPC-miRNA treatment versus control. Moreover, injection of IPC-miRNA protected the hearts against ischemia/reperfusion injury, as shown by a reduction of infarct size as compared with saline or non-IPC miRNA-treated control. We conclude that IPC-induced miRNAs trigger cardioprotection similar to the delayed phase of IPC, possibly through upregulating eNOS, HSP70, and the HSP70 transcription factor HSF-1.