Abstract
Thyroid glands from pigs with cystic fibrosis, old issues new ways
Highlights
Cystic fibrosis is caused by mutations in the CFTR gene, which encodes a chloride ion channel active primarily in the apical membrane of secretory epithelia
The development of CFTR-deficient pigs (Rogers et al 2008; Stoltz et al 2010) and ferrets (Sun et al 2010) by the teams of Michael Welsh and John Engelhardt of Iowa university have provided new and exciting options. In this issue of Experimental Physiology, Hui Li et al (2010) seize this opportunity to study the thyroid gland in the CF pig model, a somewhat neglected but potentially important tissue in CF pathology
They show that the amiloridesensitive sodium current, most probably carried by apical ENaC type sodium ion channels, is enhanced in mutant epithelium compared with control epithelium, as in CF airways
Summary
Thyroid glands from pigs with cystic fibrosis, old issues new ways Cystic fibrosis is caused by mutations in the CFTR gene, which encodes a chloride ion channel active primarily in the apical membrane of secretory epithelia. In CF patients, deficient CFTR channel activity results in a lack of chloride secretion and coupled osmotic water transport in secretory epithelia.
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