A stretch-sensitive Cl- channel in human corpus cavernosal myocytes

With the patch clamp method we demonstrate a stretch-sensitive Cl- currents as well as stretch-sensitive Cl- channels in a small group (approximate to 5%,n=117) of cultured human corpus cavernosal muscle cells. The current an d the channel activities had the following characteristics: (1) Their equil ibrium potentials changed with extracellular Cl- concentration close to tha t predicted by Nernst equation provided that the relevant channels had high permeability to Cl- but low permeability to acetate ions; (2) They were bl ocked by mM concentrations of Zn2+; (3) The i-v relation of single channel current was almost linear for holding potentials varied from -70 to + 60 mV ; and (4) The channels had unitary conductances of approximate to 140 - 170 pS.