RESUMO
OBJECTIVE:To discuss the expression of voltage-gated potassium channel(KV1.3)and calcium activated potassi-um channel(KCa3.1)in peripheral monocyte from patients with coronary artery disease(CAD)and the regulatory effect of simvas-tatin. METHODS:20 patients with CAD and 8 control patients without CAD diagnosed by percutaneous coronary intervention but correlated to risk factor of CAD were enrolled. The expression of KV1.3 mRNA and KCa3.1 mRNA were measured by RT-PCR in 2 groups,and those of CAD group were measured by RT-PCR after 1 month of simvastatin treatment. RESULTS:Compared with control group,mRNA expression of KV1.3 [(1.54±0.08)vs.(0.77±0.06),P<0.01] and KCa3.1 [(1.32±0.08)vs.(1.06±0.06), P<0.05] were significantly increased in CAD group. mRNA expression of KV1.3 was significantly correlated to the concentration of C reactive protein (CRP)(P=0.003)and was decreased by simvastatin for one month [(1.54 ± 0.08)vs.(1.14 ± 0.05),P<0.01]. However,mRNA expression of KCa3.1 was not correlated to the concentration of CRP and simvastatin didn’t affect it’s expression. CONCLUSIONS:KV1.3 and KCa3.1 in peripheral monocytes may be two new markers of CAD. Regulating KV1.3 may be one of mechanisms of statin’s pleiotrophic effect.