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Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Whole-Cell Recording of Calcium Release-Activated Calcium (CRAC) Currents in Human T Lymphocytes
Published on: December 21, 2010
Interaction between Cl- channels and CRAC-related Ca2+ signaling during T lymphocyte activation and proliferation
Guan-Lei Wang1, Yan Qian, Qin-Ying Qiu
1Department of Pharmacology, Zhongshan Medical College, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510089, China.
Aim:
To test the hypothesis that Cl channel blockers affect T cell proliferation through Ca2+-release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) signaling and examine the effects of the combination of a CRAC channel blocker and a Cl channel blocker on concanavalin A (ConA; 5 mg/mL)-induced Ca2+ signaling, gene expression and cellular proliferation in human peripheral T lymphocytes.
Methods:
[3H]Thymidine incorporation, Fura-2 fluorescent probe, RNase protection assay, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction were used.
Results:
The Cl channel blocker 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS) inhibited ConA-induced Ca2+ influx, interleukin-2 mRNA expression and T lymphocyte proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner, and also enhanced the inhibitory effects of 1-[beta-[3-(4-methoxyphenyl)propoxyl]-4-methoxyphenethyl]-1H-imidazole (SK&F96365) on the above key events during T cell activation. A combination of DIDS (1 micromol/L) and SK&F96365 (1 micromol/L) significantly diminished ConA-induced ClC-3 mRNA expression by 64%, whereas DIDS(1 micromol/L) or SK&F96365 (1 micromol/L) alone decreased ConA-induced ClC-3 mRNA expression by only 16% and 9%, respectively.
Conclusion:
These results suggest that there is an interaction between CRAC-mediated Ca2+ signaling and DIDS-sensitive Cl channels during ConA-induced T cell activation and proliferation. Moreover, the DIDS-sensitive Cl channels may be related to the ClC-3 Cl channels.
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