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Evidence for cAMP‐mediated transepithelial ion flux in porcine vocal fold epithelia
Author(s) -
Sivasankar Mahalakshmi,
Nofziger Charity,
BlazerYost Bonnie
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.22.1_supplement.1201.13
Subject(s) - forskolin , epithelial sodium channel , ion channel , vocal folds , intracellular , ion transporter , chloride channel , microbiology and biotechnology , fold (higher order function) , activator (genetics) , medicine , endocrinology , extracellular , chemistry , biology , anatomy , ion , receptor , sodium , mechanical engineering , organic chemistry , larynx , engineering
Vocal fold epithelia are exposed to osmotic challenge and inflammatory perturbations at the glottal interface. Emerging data on transepithelial vectorial ion fluxes and associated passive water movement suggest potential mechanisms by which vocal folds may defend against osmotic and chemical challenge. However, the ion transport mechanisms underlying vocal fold defense to inflammatory perturbations are not understood. In vocal folds from an Ossabaw swine model, we used electrophysiological techniques to confirm the presence of the epithelial Na + channel, ENaC, and the Cl − channel CFTR. As cAMP plays an important role in signal transduction and may serve as a second messenger for a variety of inflammatory mediators and cytokines, we examined whether porcine vocal fold epithelia are sensitive to the cAMP activator, forskolin. 30 minutes of exposure to forskolin (5mM) significantly increased ion transport, the characteristics of which are consistent with Cl − secretion as compared to sham controls (N = 10, p < 0.05) and concurrently significantly increased intracellular cAMP (N = 4, p < 0.05). These findings provide evidence for the presence of cAMP mediated ion flux in porcine vocal fold epithelia. Vocal fold inflammation is a leading cause of laryngeal disease and understanding the mechanisms involved in the inflammatory process will lead to improved treatment options for this common communication disorder.