An outward-rectifying potassium channel in primary cultures of sweat glands from cystic fibrosis subjects.

We have previously described a high conductance calcium-activated 'maxi K' channel in primary cultures of human eccrine sweat gland cells both from normal subjects and those with cystic fibrosis. In further studies we have now identified a potassium-selective channel of much lower conductance which shows outward-rectification and which is present in sweat glands isolated from cystic fibrosis subjects. In experiments with inside-out patches using symmetrical pipette and bath solutions containing 140 mM K+ the channel showed an outward slope conductance (at +50 mV) of approximately 26 pS and an inward conductance (at -50 mV) of approximately 11 pS. When K+ in the bath was replaced by Na+ the reversal potential shifts to reveal a permeability ratio PK/PNa approximately 40 Unlike the maxi-K+ channel, the outward-rectifying channel does not show sensitivity to Ca2+. Channels were found in cells cultured from the glands of four out of five cystic fibrosis subjects. In cells cultured from 30 subjects who did not have cystic fibrosis, an outward-rectifying potassium channel was seen in only one out of approximately 3000 patches.