Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0030305 (pancreatitis)
 16,014 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Potassium channels regulate excitability, epithelial ion transport, proliferation, and apoptosis. In pancreatic ducts, K(+) channels hyperpolarize the membrane potential and provide the driving force for anion secretion. This review focuses on the molecular candidates of functional K(+) channels in pancreatic duct cells, including KCNN4 (KCa 3.1), KCNMA1 (KCa 1.1), KCNQ1 (Kv 7.1), KCNH2 (Kv 11.1), KCNH5 (Kv 10.2), KCNT1 (KCa 4.1), KCNT2 (KCa 4.2), and KCNK5 (K 2P 5.1). We will give an overview of K(+) channels with respect to their electrophysiological and pharmacological characteristics and regulation, which we know from other cell types, preferably in epithelia, and, where known, their identification and functions in pancreatic ducts and in adenocarcinoma cells. We conclude by pointing out some outstanding questions and future directions in pancreatic K(+) channel research with respect to the physiology of secretion and pancreatic pathologies, including pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, and cancer, in which the dysregulation or altered expression of K(+) channels may be of importance.
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PMID:Molecular basis of potassium channels in pancreatic duct epithelial cells. 2396 92

Along the gastrointestinal tract a number of epithelia contribute with acid or basic secretions in order to aid digestive processes. The stomach and pancreas are the most extreme examples of acid (H(+)) and base (HCO(-) 3) transporters, respectively. Nevertheless, they share the same challenges of transporting acid and bases across epithelia and effectively regulating their intracellular pH. In this review, we will make use of comparative physiology to enlighten the cellular mechanisms of pancreatic HCO(-) 3 and fluid secretion, which is still challenging physiologists. Some of the novel transporters to consider in pancreas are the proton pumps (H(+)-K(+)-ATPases), as well as the calcium-activated K(+) and Cl(-) channels, such as KCa3.1 and TMEM16A/ANO1. Local regulators, such as purinergic signaling, fine-tune, and coordinate pancreatic secretion. Lastly, we speculate whether dys-regulation of acid-base transport contributes to pancreatic diseases including cystic fibrosis, pancreatitis, and cancer.
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PMID:Acid-base transport in pancreas-new challenges. 2439 97