Key result
Confocal imaging of smooth muscle cells revealed local Ca2+ transients ('sparks') lasting ~200 ms and faster events lasting ~40 ms, which correlated with spontaneous transient outward currents.
Demonstrates that localized calcium release events ('sparks') occur in visceral and vascular smooth muscle cells and correlate with spontaneous transient outward currents.
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Ca2+ sparks may regulate smooth muscle excitability in animals; leaves open relevance to human vascular tone or disease.
Bolton et al. (1998) studied this question. Confocal [Ca2+]i imaging and whole-cell patch clamp was evaluated on Characterization of subcellular calcium signalling (Ca2+ sparks). Confocal imaging of smooth muscle cells revealed local Ca2+ transients ('sparks') lasting ~200 ms and faster events lasting ~40 ms, which correlated with spontaneous transient outward currents.
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