Effects of acute mechanical stretch on the expression of mechanosensitive potassium channel TREK-1 in rat left ventricle

To explore the role of mechanosensitive potassium channel TREK-1, Western blot analysis was used to investigate the expression changes of TREK-I in left ventricle in acute mechanically stretched heart. Forty Wistar rats were randomly divided into 8 groups (n = 5 in each group), subject to single Langendorff perfusion for 0, 30, 60, 120 min and acute mechanical stretch for 0, 30, 60, 120 min respectively. With Langendorff apparatus, an acute mechanically stretched heart model was established. There was no significant difference in the expression of TREK-1 among single Langendorff perfusion groups (P > 0.05). As compared to non-stretched Langendorff-perfused heart, only the expression of TREK-1 in acute mechanically stretched heart (120 min) was greatly increased (P < 0.05). This result suggested that some course of mechanical stretch could up-regulate the expression of TREK-1 in left ventricle. TREK-1 might play an important role in mechanoelectric feedback, so it could reduce the occurrence of arrhythmia that was induced by extra mechanical stretch.