Inactivation of Endothelial Small/Intermediate Conductance of Calcium-Activated Potassium Channels Contributes to Coronary Arteriolar Dysfunction in Diabetic Patients

Authors:
Liu Y, Xie A, Singh AK, Ehsan A, Choudhary G, Dudley S, Sellke FW, Feng J
In:
Source: J Am Heart Assoc
Publication Date: (2015)
Issue: 4(8): e002062
Research Area:
Cardiovascular
Basic Research
Cells used in publication:
Endothelial, coronary art, human (HCAEC)
Species: human
Tissue Origin: artery
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Diabetes is associated with coronary arteriolar endothelial dysfunction. We investigated the role of the small/intermediate (SK(Ca)/IK(Ca)) conductance of calcium-activated potassium channels in diabetes-related endothelial dysfunction. METHODS AND RESULTS: Coronary arterioles (80 to 150 µm in diameter) were dissected from discarded right atrial tissues of diabetic (glycosylated hemoglobin = 9.6±0.25) and nondiabetic patients (glycosylated hemoglobin 5.4±0.12) during coronary artery bypass graft surgery (n=8/group). In-vitro relaxation response of precontracted arterioles was examined in the presence of the selective SK(Ca)/IK(Ca) activator NS309 and other vasodilatory agents. The channel density and membrane potential of diabetic and nondiabetic endothelial cells was measured by using the whole cell patch-clamp technique. The protein expression and distribution of the SK(Ca)/IK(Ca) in the human myocardium and coronary arterioles was examined by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Our results indicate that diabetes significantly reduced the coronary arteriolar response to the SK(Ca)/IK(Ca) activator NS309 compared to the respective responses of nondiabetic vessels (P<0.05 versus nondiabetes). The relaxation response of diabetic arterioles to NS309 was prevented by denudation of endothelium (P=0.001 versus endothelium-intact). Diabetes significantly decreased endothelial SK(Ca)/IK(Ca) currents and hyperpolarization induced by the SK(Ca)/IK(Ca) activator NS309 as compared with that of nondiabetics. There were no significant differences in the expression and distribution of SK(Ca)/IK(Ca) proteins in the coronary microvessels. CONCLUSIONS: Diabetes is associated with inactivation of endothelial SK(Ca)/IK(Ca) channels, which may contribute to endothelial dysfunction in diabetic patients.