Nieves-Cintrón Madeline, Syed Arsalan U, Nystoriak Matthew A, Navedo Manuel F
Department of Pharmacology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
Diabetes and Obesity Center, Department of Medicine, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
Microcirculation. 2018 Jan;25(1). doi: 10.1111/micc.12423.
Voltage-gated potassium (K ) channels are key regulators of vascular smooth muscle contractility and vascular tone, and thus have major influence on the microcirculation. K channels are important determinants of vascular smooth muscle membrane potential (E ). A number of K subunits are expressed in the plasma membrane of smooth muscle cells. Each subunit confers distinct kinetics and regulatory properties that allow for fine control of E to orchestrate vascular tone. Modifications in K subunit expression and/or channel activity can contribute to changes in vascular smooth muscle contractility in response to different stimuli and in diverse pathological conditions. Consistent with this, a number of studies suggest alterations in K subunit expression and/or function as underlying contributing mechanisms for small resistance artery dysfunction in pathologies such as hypertension and metabolic disorders, including diabetes. Here, we review our current knowledge on the effects of these pathologies on K channel expression and function in vascular smooth muscle cells, and the repercussions on (micro)vascular function.
电压门控钾（K⁺）通道是血管平滑肌收缩性和血管张力的关键调节因子，因此对微循环有重大影响。钾通道是血管平滑肌膜电位（Em）的重要决定因素。多种钾亚基在平滑肌细胞的质膜中表达。每个亚基都具有独特的动力学和调节特性，能够精细控制Em以协调血管张力。钾亚基表达和/或通道活性的改变可导致血管平滑肌收缩性在响应不同刺激和各种病理状况时发生变化。与此一致的是，多项研究表明，在诸如高血压和包括糖尿病在内的代谢紊乱等病理状况下，钾亚基表达和/或功能的改变是小阻力动脉功能障碍的潜在促成机制。在此，我们综述了目前关于这些病理状况对血管平滑肌细胞中钾通道表达和功能的影响以及对（微）血管功能的影响的认识。
