Effect of experimental hypercholesterolaemia on K+ channel alpha-subunit mRNA levels in rabbit hearts

We investigated the effect of dietary cholesterol on gene transcription of delayed rectifier (I(Kr) - ERG1 and I(Ks) - KvLQT1) and transient outward (I(to,fast) - Kv4.2 and Kv4.3) potassium channel subunits in rabbit hearts using real-time quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). While the level of Kv4.3 mRNA did not change, both Kv4.2 and ERG1 mRNAs were downregulated, whereas the level of KvLQT1 was increased in hypercholesterolaemic rabbits, indicating that hypercholesterolaemia altered ventricular K(+) channel alpha-subunit gene transcription.