Alternate pathways for chloride conductance activation in normal and cystic fibrosis airway epithelial cells.

Using whole cell patch-clamp and perforated patch recording techniques on human cystic fibrosis (CF) and non-CF airway epithelial cells, we sought to determine whether a single Cl- conductance (GCl) could be modulated via different regulatory pathways or whether multiple conductances could be identified. Cl- current in both CF and non-CF cells was activated by cellular swelling as well as by an elevation in intracellular calcium ([Ca2+]i). While the adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP)-activated GCl was absent in CF cells, its activation in non-CF cells was only observed in the perforated patch configuration at lower temperatures (24 degrees C) or infrequently in the whole cell configuration at elevated temperatures (33 degrees C). Currents activated by all three regulatory pathways were sensitive to the Cl- channel blocker 4,4'-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2'-disulfonic acid (DIDS). Further increases in current activation could be produced by cellular swelling after maximal Ca2+ or cAMP-induced current activation. Intracellular application of a peptide inhibitor of Ca(2+)-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase selectively blocked the Ca(2+)-dependent current activation while leaving the swelling-induced current increase intact. These results are consistent with the presence of multiple anion conductances in both CF and non-CF airway cells. The heterogeneity of the responses to the three regulatory stimuli, however, prevented the correlation of a specific anion conductance with a separate modulatory pathway based on characteristic voltage-dependent kinetics and conductance.