Outward-rectifying chloride channels in cultured adult and fetal human nasal epithelial cells

Summary The patch-clamp technique was used to characterize ion channels in the apical membranes of cultured human nasal epithelial cells, dissociated from fetal nasal mucosa and from adult nasal polyps. Outward-rectifying chloride channels were found in 4.3% of the cell-attached patches from fetal cells (n=258) and in 3.1% of the patches from adult cells (n=320). After exeision the number of patches containing active chloride channels increased threefold to 13% of the patches from the fetal cells and 10% from adult cells. The single-channel conductance at 0 mV in symmetrical 150mm NaCl solutions was 24.3 ±0.9 pS (n=28) and 26.0 ± 1.2 pS (n=30), respectively, in adult and fetal cells and showed outward rectification in the potential range from –80 to +80 mV. In fetal cells as well as in adult cells the channels were anion selective, and were almost impermeable for larger anions and monovalent cations. In cell-free patches the channels were Ca²⁺ independent. In most of the channels the open probability was voltage independent and high (±0.86); in 20% of the channels, however, the open probability increased with depolarization. In conclusion, fetal nasal epithelial cells contain chloride channels in their apical membranes with singlechannel properties and regulatory mechanisms similar to those found in cells from adults.