Do calcium-activated potassium channels exist in the heart?

Abstract

Changes of intracellular Ca concentration in cardiac muscle have significant effects on transmembrane currents and many of these effects can be accounted for by postulating the existence of Ca-activated K channels in the heart. However, the evidence that such channels exist is equivocal. This is partly because of technical problems, for example the difficulty of identifying an individual ionic current amongst the many currents that exist in the heart. An additional problem, however, is posed by the fact that other currents may also be modulated by Ca ions. It is important therefore to distinguish between these currents and those caused by Ca-activated, K-specific channels. In this review we consider the evidence for Ca activated currents in the heart and, in particular, we discuss whether or not these currents are carried exclusively by K ions.