简介：Objective:Avarietyofionchannelshavebeenimplicatedinbreastcancerproliferationandmetastasis.VoltagegatedK+(Kv)channelsnotonlycauserepolarizationinexcitablecells,butarealsoinvolvedinmultiplecellularfunctionsinnon-excitablecells.InthisstudyweinvestigatedtheroleofKvchannelsinmigrationofBT474breastcancercells.Methods:Transwelltechniquewasusedtoseparatemigratorycellsfromnon-migratoryonesandthesetwogroupsofcellsweresubjecttoelectrophysiologicalexaminationsandmicrofluorimetricmeasurementsforcytosolicCa2+.CellmigrationwasexaminedintheabsenceorpresenceofKvchannelblockers.Results:Whencomparedwithnon-migratorycells,migratorycellshadmuchhigherKvcurrentdensities,butratherunexpectedly,moredepolarizedmembranepotentialandreducedCa2+influx.Reversetranscriptasepolymerasechainreaction(RT-PCR)analysisrevealedthepresenceofKv1.1,Kv1.3,Kv1.5,Kv2.1,Kv3.3,Kv3.4andKv4.3channels.Cellmigrationwasmarkedlyinhibitedbytetraethylammonium(TEA),adelayedrectifierKvchannelblocker,butnotby4-aminopyridine,anA-typeKvchannelblocker.Conclusions:Takentogether,ourresultsshowthatincreasedKvchannelexpressionplayedaroleinBT474cellmigration,andKvchannelscouldbeconsideredasbiomarkersorpotentialtherapeutictargetsforbreastcancermetastasis.Themechanism(s)bywhichKvchannelsenhancedmigrationappearedunrelatedtomembranehyperpolarizationandCa2+influx.