Key result
Immunopanning purification demonstrated that 96% of isolated HCN+ cells exhibit Ih, and HCN channel block abolished electrical pacemaker activity and peristalsis in the upper urinary tract.
Why the study?
Although HCN channels underlie cardiac pacemaker activity, their role in smooth muscle organs remains controversial, the Ih pacemaker current had not been detected in renal pelvic smooth muscle cells, and pacemaker mechanisms in multicalyceal urinary tracts remained unknown.
Population
Murine, human, and porcine upper urinary tract tissues and isolated cells
Comparison
HCN channel block vs baseline
Design
Preclinical translational laboratory study
Authors
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HCN channels may drive urinary tract peristalsis; extends conserved pacemaker role but leaves open human channelopathy relevance.
HCN ion channels play an evolutionarily conserved pacemaker role in smooth muscle organs, suggesting channelopathies as putative etiologies of smooth muscle disorders.
Yang et al. (2022) studied Smooth muscle pacemaker activity. HCN channel block was evaluated on Electrical pacemaker activity and peristalsis. Immunopanning purification demonstrated that 96% of isolated HCN+ cells exhibit Ih, and HCN channel block abolished electrical pacemaker activity and peristalsis in the upper urinary tract.
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