Reinduction of T-Type Calcium Channels by Endothelin-1 in Failing Hearts In Vivo and in Adult Rat Ventricular Myocytes In Vitro

In ventricular myocardium, the T-type Ca2+ current (ICa,T), which is temporarily observed during fetal and neonatal periods, has been shown to reappear in failing/remodeling hearts. However, its pathophysiological regulation has not been elucidated.We utilized Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) rats with hypertension at the stage of concentric left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (11 weeks old, LVH) and at the heart failure stage (16 to 18 weeks old, CHF)....