Metabolic inhibitors affect the conductance of low voltage-activated calcium channels in brain capillary endothelial cells.

Abstract

The brain capillary endothelium plays an essential role in the preservation of the blood-brain barrier and in the control of blood microcirculation. Since hypoxia (Po2: 20 Torr) increases K+ conductance in brain capillary endothelial cells (BCECs) (Delpiano, 1994), the question arises whether chemical agents that impair cell metabolism may produce similar changes in Ca2+ conductance. To better understand the signal transduction mechanism that operates on BCECs during hypoxia and which may be of physiological relevance for the control of brain blood flow microcirculation, these cells were investigated in voltage-clamp experiments using the perforated nystatin patch-clamp technique (Horn & Marty, 1988).KeywordsCarotid BodyGlomus CellBrain Capillary Endothelial CellRabbit Portal VeinBrain Capillary EndotheliumThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.