High-conductance, Ca²⁺-activated K⁺ Channels: Altered Expression Profiles in Aging and Cardiovascular Disease

Figure 1

Schematic diagrams of the BK channel structure and the therapeutic strategies to restore BK channel function to the vasculature during aging and cardiovascular diseases. (A) The structure of the pore-forming α subunit (BKα) and regulatory β₁-subunit (BKβ₁) of the BK channel. Four BKα subunits co-assemble with four BKβ₁ subunits to form the channel heteromultimer (shown at right). (B) Schematic diagram depicting BK channel abnormalities in aging and cardiovascular diseases and possible therapies. Left: A disease-related loss of channel activity may be amenable to treatment with BK channel openers that increase channel activity to promote vasodilation. Right: The loss of the BKα and/or BKβ₁ channel proteins associated with aging and cardiovascular diseases may be restored by gene therapy using smooth muscle-specific promoters to re-express these subunits as functional BK channels in diseased VSMCs.