Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of membrane stretch on the activity of BK(Ca) channels and determine whether change in BK(Ca)-channel activity induced by membrane stretch can be altered in the presence of riluzole. The effect and mechanisms of membrane stretch on the activity of large-conductance Ca(2+)-activated K(+) (BK(Ca)) channels in human retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells were investigated using the patch-clamp technique. In cell-attached patches, an increase in BK(Ca)-channel activity was induced by membrane stretch, which is mainly mediated by the increase in the number of long-lived openings. With inside-out patches, application of pipette suction did not modify single-channel conductance of BK(Ca) channels; however, it did enhance the channel activity. Membrane stretch-induced channel activity was found to be independent of the level of intracellular Ca(2+). Membrane stretch also potentiated riluzole-stimulated BK(Ca)-channel activity. BK(Ca) channel can be stimulated by membrane stretch in human RPE cells. During an increase in tensile strength of RPE, the BK(Ca) channel might exert a protective action against deleterious tension by promoting a hyperpolarizing outflow that forces the cell to rest.
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