Acute hypoxia differentially regulates K+ channels. Implications with respect to cardiac arrhythmia

The first ion channels demonstrated to be sensitive to changes in oxygen tension were K+ channels in glomus cells of the carotid body. Since then a number of hypoxia-sensitive ion channels have been identified. However, not all K+ channels respond to hypoxia alike. This has raised some debate about how cells detect changes in oxygen tension. Because ion channels respond rapidly to hypoxia it has been proposed that the channel is itself an oxygen sensor. However, channel function can also be modified by thiol reducing and oxidizing agents, implicating reactive oxygen species as signals in hypoxic events. Cardiac ion channels can also be modified by hypoxia and redox agents. The rapid and slow components of the delayed rectifier K+ channel are differentially regulated by hypoxia and β-adrenergic receptor stimulation. Mutations in the genes that encode the subunits for the channel are associated with Long QT syndrome and sudden cardiac death. The implications with respect to effects of hypoxia on the channel and triggering of cardiac arrhythmia will be discussed.