Is Zn2+ the new Ca2+ for TRPC6 channels in the myocardium?
1Walther-Straub-Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Member of the German Centre for Lung Research (DZL), LMU Munich, Germany.
Abstract:
Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels are nonselective cation channels, which are mainly permeable to Ca2+ and Na+ but many of them are also permeable to Zn2+. In a new elegant study, a Zn2+-dependent pathway involving the TRP member TRPC6 and α1- as well as β-adrenoceptors (AR) was dissected in rodent myocytes. Norepinephrine-mediated activation of α1-AR induces Zn2+ influx through TRPC6 channels, which reinforces β-AR-mediated positive inotropy and may help patients with heart failure. This work encourages a closer look at the consequences of Zn2+ permeation through TRP channels in human health and disease.
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