Abstract
The regulation of ion channel activity is key to the maintenance of cellular excitability in many cell types. In vascular smooth muscle, the activity of K+ channels is essential to the control of membrane excitability in that K+ channels are responsible for setting the resting membrane potential (RMP) at relatively negative membrane potentials (1). Alteration of K+ channel activity or gene expression will therefore have a major impact on cell excitability. Indeed, dysfunctional ion channels permeable to K+, Na+, Ca2+, and Cl have been involved in many forms of cardiovascular disease (2-5).
Original language | English (US) |
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Title of host publication | Ion Channels in the Pulmonary Vasculature |
Publisher | CRC Press |
Pages | 379-408 |
Number of pages | 30 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 9780849350375 |
ISBN (Print) | 0824759680, 9780824759681 |
State | Published - Jan 1 2005 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)