This article tells of some scientists characterizing ion channel in the salivary glands. The article explains the calcium activated potassium channels today are known to play various crucial physiological roles in the human body. The said channels have first been described in red blood cells in the late 1950s. The channels tasks are important. They include several roles such as the maintaining vascular tone to red blood cells. They are also responsible for regulating the firing rate of neurons and for controlling the secretion of the salivary gland that can be seen under usb-microscope.

For several years scientists have attempted to define the relationship between the two distinct types of calcium activated potassium channels. It is found in the clustered, grape like acinar cells of the parotid salivary gland.  The article explains what the parotid gland is. It is a gland that is located just below the ear. This gland produces about 25 percent of the human saliva.  The group of scientists conducted several researches and experiments related to the channels. The scientists have previously cloned, characterized, and created a mouse that lacked the gene that regulated one of these channels. They called this channel the IK1 channel.  They also characterized the other channel called the Maxi K channel. The article explains that the scientists have found that not only do the two channels regulate the rate of fluid secretion, but they likewise control the ionic composition and volume of the salivary acinar cells.  The researchers conduct the study in battling the chronic irritation of dry mouth. They believe that understanding of the more subtle features of this interplay in channels will be critical in designing winning strategies to restore lost salivary flow especially in patients with dry outh resulting from radiation therapy. This can be clearly seen under usb-microscope.

A related article tells of the molecular identification and physiological roles of parotid acinar cell maxi K channels. The article explains that the physiological success of fluid secreting actually tissues relies on a regulated interplay between the Ca 2+ activated Cl - and K+ channels. The parotid acinar cells, found in the parotid gland, express two types of Ca 2+ activated K+ channels. These are the intermediate conductance IK1 channels and maxi K channels. The scientists explain that the KCa3.1 gene encodes the IK1 channel. They tell that the KCa1.1 gene is a likely candidate for the maxi K channel. Scientists studied parotid glands in mice with the KCa1.1 gene ablated. To confirm the genetic identity of the maxi-K channey did this in order to probe its specific roles.They have found that the parotid acinar cells from these animals lacked maxi K channels. This basically confirms their genetic identity. The scientist has observed that the stimulated parotid gland fluid secretion rate was normal, but the sodium and potassium content of the secreted fluid was changed. In addition, they have also disciovered that the regulatory volume decrease in acinar cells was substantially impaired in KCa1.1 null animals. They explained that they examined the fluid secretion from animals with both K+ channel genes deleted. They then have found in their experiment that the secretion rate was severely reduced. The ion content of the secreted fluid was also significantly changed. Scientists further added that in the process, they also measured the membrane potentials of acinar cells from wild type mice and from animals with either or both K+ channel genes ablated. The article tells that the results revealed that the observed functional effects on fluid secretion reflected alterations in cell membrane voltage. The findings of the study exhibit that the maxi K channels are critical for the regulatory volume decrease in these cells and that they play an important role in the sodium uptake and potassium secretion process in the ducts of these fluid secreting salivary glands that can be seen under usb-microscope. Original article