Analysis of Ion Channels in Smooth Muscle

The expression profiles, densities, and biophysical characteristics of ion channels in different types of smooth muscle are different. Creative Bioarray is committed to providing clients with characterization and analysis services of ion channels in smooth muscles, providing important information for understanding the mechanisms by which ion channels are involved in Ca²⁺ signaling, contractility, and function of smooth muscles.

Background

Smooth muscle has important physiological significance and plays a key role in the hollow organs of the body, including blood and lymphatic vessels, esophagus, airways, stomach, urinary bladder, intestine, ureter, kidney, gallbladder, penis, and uterus. Smooth muscle constitutes a major part of the walls of these organs and is essential for sustaining life. The ion channels in smooth muscle cells are involved in many important physiological processes, including the regulation of intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration, membrane potential, and contractility of smooth muscle.

The excitability of smooth muscles varies greatly depending on their location in the body, which may be due to differences in ion channel properties or channel distribution. A variety of excitatory ion channels have been identified in various smooth muscles, including non-selective cation channels, which are tonically active (I_cat) or activated by stimuli such as stretch and agonist, and Cl^- selective channels activated by intracellular Ca²⁺ or stretch. Understanding the expression patterns and properties of these ion channels has important implications for elucidating the roles of ion channels in regulating the functionality of various smooth muscles within the body.

Fig. 1 Regulation of vascular smooth muscle excitability by TRP channels. (Syed, 2019)

Our Services

Our research team provides clients with comprehensive and professional analysis services for ion channels in various smooth muscles, such as vascular smooth muscle, airway smooth muscle, pulmonary artery smooth muscle, and smooth muscle cells of the vas deferens. Our services include but not limited to:

• Identification of excitatory ion channels in various smooth muscles.
• Expression profiling of ion channel genes in smooth muscle cells. We help clients analyze the transcriptional expression levels of various ion channel subunits, such as the α subunits of voltage-dependent Ca²⁺ channels, Cl^- channels, and Trp channels, and the α, β, and γ subunits of K⁺ channels.
• Analysis of protein expression levels of ion channels in smooth muscle cells.
• Functional expression analysis of various ion channels in smooth muscle cells.
• Characterization of voltage-gated ion channel currents in single smooth muscle cells.
• Analysis of ion selectivity and surface receptor coupling of multiple ion channels in smooth muscle cells.
• Analysis of voltage-dependent changes and interactions of ion channels expressed in smooth muscle cells.

Applications

Our ion channel analysis service can be applied to research in many fields, such as:

• Study on the changes of ion channel characteristics under pathological conditions
• Development of therapies for (micro)vascular diseases
• Development of therapeutic targets for intimal hyperplasia

Equipped with a first-class technology platform and an excellent research team, Creative Bioarray has the strength to provide clients with the expression patterns and characteristic analysis of ion channels in smooth muscle. Our expert scientific services help accelerate your understanding of the role of ion channels in regulating various smooth muscle functions in the body. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us for more details.

Reference

1. Syed, A. U.; et al. Ion channels and their regulation in vascular smooth muscle[M]//Basic and Clinical Understanding of Microcirculation. IntechOpen, 2019.