Ion channels in inexcitable cells are involved in proliferation and volume
regulation. Glioma cells robustly proliferate and undergo shape and volume
changes during invasive migration. We investigated ion channel expression i
n two human glioma cell lines (D54MG and STTG-1). With low [Ca2+](i), both
cell types displayed voltage-dependent currents that activated at positive
voltages (more than +50 mV). Current density was sensitive to intracellular
cation replacement with the following rank order; K+ > Cs+ approximate to
Li+ > Na+. Currents were >80% inhibited by iberiotoxin (33 nM), charybdotox
in (50 nM), quinine (1 mM), tetrandrine (30 muM), and tetraethylammonium io
n (TEA; 1 mM). Extracellular phloretin (100 muM), an activator of BK(Ca2+)
channels, and elevated intracellular Ca2+ negatively shifted the I-V curve
of whole cell currents. With 0, 0.1, and 1 muM [Ca2+](i), the half-maximal
voltages, V-0.5, for whole cell current activation were +150, +65, and +12
mV, respectively. Elevating [K+](o) potentiated whole cell currents in a fa
shion proportional to the square-root of [K+](o). Recording from cell-attac
hed patches revealed large conductance channels (150-200 pS) with similar v
oltage dependence and activation kinetics as whole cell currents. These dat
a indicate that human glioma cells express large-conductance, Ca2+-activate
d K+ (BK) channels. In amphotericin-perforated patches bradykinin (1 muM) a
ctivated TEA-sensitive currents that were abolished by preincubation with b
is-(oaminophenoxy)-N,N,N',N'- tetraacetic acid-AM (BAPTA-AM). The BK channe
ls described here may influence the responses of glioma cells to stimuli th
at increase [Ca2+](i).