Understanding mechanisms of cardioprotection: The overlooked role of Kir6.1 in cardiac muscle
Dr Richard Rainbow and his colleagues at the University of Leicester are studying an ion channel called Kir6.1 that is important in controlling the heartbeat. The heartbeat is controlled by the flow of electrical currents in or out of heart cells. This is caused by particles called ions moving through pores on the heart cell surface called ion channels. Potassium ion movement through potassium channels makes the heart relax, controls the length of each heartbeat, and how long the heart rests between beats. When the heart doesn’t have enough oxygen available to support itself (for example, during a heart attack), it tries to protect itself by shortening the length of each contraction. Using samples from a family with a history of diabetes and high blood pressure, Dr Rainbow has discovered a potassium channel called Kir6.1 that helps to control the length of each heartbeat at rest and when oxygen is low. Kir6.1 is activated when the heart needs to protect itself, and that protection disappears if Kir6.1 is blocked with drugs. In this project, Dr Rainbow will study Kir6.1’s role in the heart in detail using rats and guinea pigs. He’ll find out which proteins help to form this channel, and how it helps to control the heartbeat under resting conditions and when the heart needs protection. This research will find out if targeting Kir6.1 using drugs could protect the heart from damage during and after a heart attack.
Project details
| Grant amount | £155,727 |
|---|---|
| Grant type | Project Grants |
| Application type | Project Grant |
| Start Date | 19 December 2016 |
| Duration | 2 years |
| Reference | PG/16/14/32039 |
| Status | Complete |
