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Cl~(-) channels： what role do they play in mammalian heart？

Zhou Shisheng

Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Department of Physiology, Medical College, Dalian University.Dalian 116622,Liaoning

Abstract

Cl~(-) channel has been identified in heart over more than a decade. It is now known that Cl~(-) channel is a super-family. The potentially important roles of cardiac Cl~(-) channels have been emerging. Cardiac Cl~(-) channels may play multifunctional roles in both physiological and pathophysiological conditions. Since the existence and distribution of cardiac Cl~(-) channels vary with species and cardiac tissues, and blockade of Cl~(-) channel with putative Cl~(-) channel blockers or Cl~(-) substitution has profound influence on cardiac electrical properties, it appears that the main role of cardiac Cl~(-) channels may be to modulate cation channels or provide an ionic environment suitable for the activities of cation channels. So, to investigate the relationship between Cl~(-) channels and cation channels may be of physiological and pathophysiological significance.

Key words: Cl~(-) channels;cation channels;Electrophysiology;cardiac myocyte;heart

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Citing This Article：

Zhou Shisheng. Cl~(-) channels： what role do they play in mammalian heart？. Acta Physiol Sin 2006; 58 (2): (in Chinese with English abstract).