William A Chutkow, Jielin Pu, Matthew T Wheeler, Tomoyuki Wada, Jonathan C Makielski, Charles F Burant, Elizabeth M McNally
University of Chicago, Department of Medicine, Section of Cardiology, Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA.
The Journal of clinical investigation 2002 JulK(ATP) channels couple the intracellular energy state to membrane excitability and regulate a wide array of biologic activities. K(ATP) channels contain a pore-forming inwardly rectifying potassium channel and a sulfonylurea receptor regulatory subunit (SUR1 or SUR2). To clarify the role of K(ATP) channels in vascular smooth muscle, we studied Sur2 gene-targeted mice (Sur2(-/-)) and found significantly elevated resting blood pressures and sudden death. Using in vivo monitoring, we detected transient, repeated episodes of coronary artery vasospasm in Sur2(-/-) mice. Focal narrowings in the coronary arteries were present in Sur2(-/-) mice consistent with vascular spasm. We treated Sur2(-/-) mice with a calcium channel antagonist and successfully reduced vasospastic episodes. The intermittent coronary artery vasospasm seen in Sur2(-/-) mice provides a model for the human disorder Prinzmetal variant angina and demonstrates that the SUR2 K(ATP) channel is a critical regulator of episodic vasomotor activity.
William A Chutkow, Jielin Pu, Matthew T Wheeler, Tomoyuki Wada, Jonathan C Makielski, Charles F Burant, Elizabeth M McNally. Episodic coronary artery vasospasm and hypertension develop in the absence of Sur2 K(ATP) channels. The Journal of clinical investigation. 2002 Jul;110(2):203-8
PMID: 12122112
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