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Role of renal vascular potassium channels in physiology and pathophysiology
Author(s) -
Salomonsson M.,
Brasen J. C.,
Sorensen C. M.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
acta physiologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.591
H-Index - 116
eISSN - 1748-1716
pISSN - 1748-1708
DOI - 10.1111/apha.12882
Subject(s) - vasoconstriction , vasodilation , inward rectifier potassium ion channel , vascular smooth muscle , medicine , endocrinology , potassium channel , chemistry , homeostasis , depolarization , vascular resistance , renal blood flow , kidney , blood pressure , ion channel , receptor , smooth muscle
The control of renal vascular tone is important for the regulation of salt and water balance, blood pressure and the protection against damaging elevated glomerular pressure. The K + conductance is a major factor in the regulation of the membrane potential ( V m ) in vascular smooth muscle ( VSMC ) and endothelial cells ( EC ). The vascular tone is controlled by V m via its effect on the opening probability of voltage‐operated Ca 2+ channels ( VOCC ) in VSMC . When K + conductance increases V m becomes more negative and vasodilation follows, while deactivation of K + channels leads to depolarization and vasoconstriction. K + channels in EC indirectly participate in the control of vascular tone by endothelium‐derived vasodilation. Therefore, by regulating the tone of renal resistance vessels, K + channels have a potential role in the control of fluid homoeostasis and blood pressure as well as in the protection of the renal parenchyma. The main classes of K + channels (calcium activated ( K C a ), inward rectifier (K ir ), voltage activated (K v ) and ATP sensitive ( K ATP )) have been found in the renal vessels. In this review, we summarize results available in the literature and our own studies in the field. We compare the ambiguous in vitro and in vivo results. We discuss the role of single types of K + channels and the integrated function of several classes. We also deal with the possible role of renal vascular K + channels in the pathophysiology of hypertension, diabetes mellitus and sepsis.