Characterization of functional ion channels in human cardiac c-kit+ progenitor cells

• Published in: Basic research in cardiology 2014-05, Vol.109 (3), p.407-407, Article 407
• Main Authors: Zhang, Ying-Ying, Li, Gang, Che, Hui, Sun, Hai-Ying, Li, Xin, Au, Wing-Kuk, Xiao, Guo-Sheng, Wang, Yan, Li, Gui-Rong
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Biomarkers - metabolism; Blotting, Western; Cardiology; Cells, Cultured; Female; Humans; Ion Channels - antagonists & inhibitors; Ion Channels - genetics; Ion Channels - metabolism; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Membrane Potentials; Membrane Transport Modulators - pharmacology; Middle Aged; Myocytes, Cardiac - drug effects; Myocytes, Cardiac - metabolism; Original Contribution; Patch-Clamp Techniques; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit - metabolism; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Stem Cells - drug effects; Stem Cells - metabolism; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0300-8428; 1435-1803
• DOI: 10.1007/s00395-014-0407-z

Cardiac progenitor cells play an important role in cardiac repair and regeneration; however, their cellular biology and electrophysiology are not understood. The present study characterizes the functional ion channels in human cardiac c-kit +  progenitor cells using whole-cell patch voltage-clamp, RT-PCR, and Western blots. We found that several ionic currents were present in human cardiac c-kit + progenitor cells, including a large-conductance Ca 2+ -activated K + current (BK Ca ) in 86 % of cells, an inwardly rectifying K + current ( I Kir ) in 84 % of cells, a transient outward K + current ( I to ) in 47 % of cells, a voltage-gated tetrodotoxin-sensitive Na + current ( I Na,TTX ) in 61 % of cells. Molecular identities of these ionic currents were determined with RT-PCR and Western-blot analysis. KCa.1.1 (for BK Ca ), Kir2.1 (for I Kir ), Kv4.2 and Kv4.3 (for I to ), Nav1.3 and Nav1.6 (for I Na.TTX ) were abundantly expressed in human cardiac c-kit + progenitor cells, which do not resemble cardiomyocytes at all. These results demonstrate for the first time that four types of ionic currents including BK Ca , I to , I Kir , and I Na.TTX , are heterogeneously present in human cardiac c-kit + cells, which may be involved in regulating cellular physiology.