Effect of sufentanil on calcium-activated potassium currents in rat abdominal aortic smooth muscle cells / 第二军医大学学报

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the influence of sufentanil on calcium-activated K+ channels (IKCa) in rat abdominal aortic smooth muscle cells, and to investigate its role in dilation of blood vessels. Methods: Rat abdominal aortic smooth muscle cells (AASMCs) were freshly obtained by enzymatic digestion. Whole-cell voltage-clamp technique was used to assess the effect of sufentanil (1 × 10-8, 3 × 10-8, 1 × 10-7 mol/L) on IKCa. Results: Sufentanil significantly increased the amplitude of IKc compared with the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). The effect of sufentanil was reversible and in a concentration-dependent manner. Conclusion: Sufentanil can promote the activation of KCa channel in rat AASMCs, which might be related to the vasodilatory effect of sufentanil observed in clinical practice.