How the heart controls chloride and acid levels to keep rhythm and pumping
Cardiac chloride and pH regulation in health and disease
This project looks at a heart protein called SLC26A6 to understand how chloride and acid (pH) balance in heart cells affect heart rhythm and pumping in people with ischemic heart disease and arrhythmias.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California at Davis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Davis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11264848 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are studying a heart membrane protein (SLC26A6) that exchanges chloride and bicarbonate to see how it controls intracellular pH and electrical activity in heart cells. They use mouse models lacking the gene, isolated atrial and ventricular heart cells, and analyses of human heart isoforms to measure beat-to-beat pH, action potentials, and contractile function. The team compares normal and genetically altered hearts to link molecular exchange activity with changes in rhythm, conduction, and pump performance. Results will be used to pinpoint steps in pH and chloride handling that could be targeted to protect the heart after ischemia or reduce arrhythmias.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with coronary (ischemic) heart disease, heart attack damage, or atrial/ventricular arrhythmias are the main patient groups who could benefit from findings or be candidates for future related trials or tissue donation.
Not a fit: Patients without heart disease or those seeking an immediate treatment are unlikely to get direct benefit from this lab-focused, preclinical research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal new targets to prevent or treat arrhythmias and improve heart function after heart attacks by correcting pH and chloride handling.
How similar studies have performed: Early preclinical data, including mouse knockouts and identification of human SLC26A6 isoforms, show promising effects on heart electrical activity, but translating these findings into human therapies remains unproven.
Where this research is happening
Davis, United States
- University of California at Davis — Davis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Xiao-Dong — University of California at Davis
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Xiao-Dong
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.