A Novel Inhibitor of Hypertonicity-Induced Cation Channels in HeLa Cells

Abstract

Despite the paramount significance of hypertonicity-induced cation channels (HICCs) in cell proliferation and apoptosis, a detailed analysis of these processes is hindered by the very limited number of HICC blockers available. Here, 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) is introduced as a novel and effective inhibitor of the HICC in HeLa cells. Its efficiency is defined with reference to flufenamic acid (as the most potent blocker so far), both, in whole-cell patch-clamp recordings and in measurements of cell volume regulation.