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Publications (2)4.67 Total impact

  • Article: Volume-sensitive chloride channels are involved in maintenance of basal cell volume in human acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells.
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    ABSTRACT: Chloride channels are expressed ubiquitously in different cells. However, the activation and roles of volume-activated chloride channels under normal isotonic conditions are not clarified, especially in lymphatic cells. In this study, the activation of basal and volume-activated chloride currents and their roles in maintenance of basal cell volume under isotonic conditions were investigated in human acute lymphoblastic leukemia Molt4 cells. The patch-clamp technique and time-lapse image analysis were employed to record whole-cell currents and cell volume changes. Under isotonic conditions, a basal chloride current was recorded. The current was weakly outward-rectified and volume-sensitive and was not inactivated obviously in the observation period. A 47% hypertonic bath solution and the chloride channel blockers NPPB and tamoxifen suppressed the current. Exposure of cells to 47% hypotonic bath solution activated further the basal current. The hypotonicity-activated current possessed properties similar to those of the basal current and was inhibited by NPPB, tamoxifen, ATP and hypertonic bath solution. Furthermore, extracellular hypotonic challenges swelled the cells and induced a regulatory volume decrease (RVD). Extracellular applications of NPPB, tamoxifen and ATP swelled the cells under isotonic conditions and inhibited the RVD induced by hypotonic cell swelling. The results suggest that some volume-activated chloride channels are activated under isotonic conditions, resulting in the appearance of the basal chloride current, which plays an important role in the maintenance of basal cell volume in lymphoblastic leukemia cells. Chloride channels can be activated further to induce a regulatory volume recovery when cells are swollen.
    Journal of Membrane Biology 02/2011; 240(2):111-9. · 1.81 Impact Factor
  • Article: Blockage of volume-activated chloride channels inhibits migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells.
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    ABSTRACT: Cell migration is crucial for tumor metastasis. Membrane ion channels may play a major role in tumor cell migration because the cells must undergo changes in shape and volume during migration. In the present study, we used the transwell migration assay, an in vitro model for cell migration, and the patch-clamp technique to investigate the role of the volume-activated Cl(-) current (I(cl,vol)) in the regulation of the migration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma CNE-2Z cells. 5-Nitro-2- (3-phenylpropylamino) benzoic acid (NPPB) inhibited the I(cl,vol) and the migration of CNE-2Z cells with almost identical dose-dependent pattern (IC(50) of 98.1 microM and 97.7 microM for I(cl,vol) and cell migration, respectively). Extracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) also showed similar dose-dependent inhibitory effects on the currents and migration (IC(50) of 1.07mM, and 1.11mM for I(cl,vol) and cell migration, respectively). Hypotonic treatments, which activated I(cl,vol), increased cell migration. Exposure to hypertonic solutions, which was shown to suppress I(cl,vol), inhibited cell migration. Replacement of Cl(-) with gluconate, which is relatively chloride channel-impermeable, impaired cell migration, whereas substitution of Cl(-) by I(-) and Br(-), the chloride channel-permeable ions, did not significantly affect cell migration. Analysis of the effects of all the above treatments on I(cl,vol) and cell migration indicated that the inhibition of migration was positively correlated with the blockage of I(cl,vol), with a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.97, suggesting a functional relationship between I(cl,vol) and cell migration. These data suggest that the volume-activated Cl(-) channels are involved in cell migration.
    Cellular Physiology and Biochemistry 02/2007; 19(5-6):249-58. · 2.86 Impact Factor