Ion channels in the metabolic regulation of respiratory cells.

This article has focused on the characteristics of ion channels in cells of the respiratory system. Ion channels and their role in transepithelial fluid movement are best understood in tracheal epithelial cells. The bulk of the evidence indicates that a Cl- channel abnormality is etiologically involved in CF. In other cell types, such as isolated type II alveolar epithelial and vascular endothelial cells, ion channels have been described, but their functional significance is only incompletely understood. Finally, the majority of cells in the lungs has yet to be studied electrophysiologically. It is hoped that eventually studies of channel properties may enable investigators to determine how the channels affect cell function.