Abstract: | We have demonstrated the phenomenon of Са2+-induced hyperpolarization in the myocardium of pulmonary veins (PVs) in rats. An increase in cytoplasmic calcium Са2+]i was shown to shift the resting potential (RP) in the PVs towards more negative values. The compounds inducing an increase in Са2+]i, such as isoproterenol (10 μM), caffeine (5 mM), and ryanodine (0.01 μM), caused hyperpolarization of 10 ± 2, 9 ± 1.3, and 4.1 ± 2 mV, respectively. The inhibition of calcium-dependent potassium currents (IKCa) did not change RP of PVs under the control conditions and did not affect the Са2+-induced hyperpolarization. |