Investigation of the selective ion transport system of mammary epithelial cells

有研究表明，乳腺上皮细胞选择性离子转运在哺乳过程中起重要作用。然而，乳腺分泌细胞中的活性离子通道尚不清楚。为了揭示哺乳的机制，我们研究了乳腺分泌细胞中的活性离子通道。将全细胞膜片钳技术应用于新分离的哺乳期小鼠乳腺上皮细胞(MEC)。在本研究中，我们发现了内向整流钾(KIR)通道在哺乳期MEC中的功能表达。

It has been suggested that the selective ion transport of mammary epithelial cells play an important role in lactation. However, active ion channels in mammary secretory cells are unknown. To reveal the mechanisms of lactation, we investigated the active ion channels in mammary secretory cells. A whole-cell patch clamp technique was applied to mammary epithelial cells (MEC) freshly isolated from mammary glands of lactating mice. In this study, we found the functional expression of inwardly rectifying potassium (Kir) channels in lactating MEC.