Involvement of the Ca²⁺‐dependent K⁺ channel activity in the hyperpolarizing response induced by epidermal growth factor in mammary epithelial cells

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) induces a hyperpolarizing response of 5-20 mV amplitude in mouse mammary epithelial cells in culture. The amplitude of the hyperpolarizing response was reduced by more than 60% within several minutes after addition of blockers of voltage and/or Ca2+-dependent K+ channels such as tetraethylammonium (7 mM) or quinine (0.29 mM). Both nifedipine (0.15 mM), a blocker of the Ca2+ channel, and ruthenium red (2 mM), an inhibitor of the Ca2+-binding site, also reduced the amplitude of the hyperpolarizing response by more than 60%. The Ca2+ ionophore, A23187 (3.8 microM), induced a large hyperpolarization, which was 25-40 mV and lasted about 3 min. These data suggest that activity of the Ca2+-dependent K+ channel was involved in the EGF-induced hyperpolarizing response of the mammary epithelial cells.