Modulation of the molecular composition of large conductance, Ca²⁺ activated K⁺ channels in vascular smooth muscle during hypertension
J. Clin. Invest. Gregory C. Amberg, et al. 112:717 doi:10.1172/JCI18684 [Go to this article.]

Figure 2
Reduced coupling between Ca²⁺ sparks and BK channels in HT arterial myocytes. (a) Representative line-scan images of Ca²⁺ sparks from NT and HT myocytes (left side). The traces to the right show the time course of [Ca²⁺]_i in the regions of the images delimited by the bars located at the end of each line-scan image. (b) Simultaneous BK current (top; HP = –40 mV) and Ca²⁺ sparks (bottom) recordings from NT and HT myocytes. In all cases, Ca²⁺ sparks had an associated BK current. However, on occasion, a Ca²⁺ spark outside the imaged area would evoke a BK current (e.g., the fifth BK current from left in NT cell). Dashed lines indicate the mean pA or F/F₀ (as appropriate) for each representative trace. (c) Relationship between BK current and Ca²⁺ spark amplitudes in NT (circles; 46 sparks from 6 cells) and HT (triangles; 41 sparks from 6 cells) myocytes. Data for this plot were obtained from traces similar to those shown in b. The smooth lines represent the best linear regression fits using a least-squares routine. The slope of the line used to fit the NT and HT data was, respectively, 112.4 ± 26.8 and 43.2 ± 9.2 pA/Ca²⁺ (F/F₀). (d) Coupling strength (BK current amplitude divided by Ca²⁺ spark amplitude) in NT and HT myocytes. *P < 0.05.