Apical membranes of human airway epithelial cells have significant chloride permeability, which is reduced in cystic fibrosis (CF), causing abnormal electrochemistry and impaired mucociliary clearance. At least four types of chloride channels have been identified in these cells, but their relative roles in total permeability and CF are unclear. Noise analysis was used to measure the conductance of chloride channels in human nasal epithelial cells. The data indicate that channels with a mean conductance of 4.5 pS carry most of the chloride current, and that the mean number of such channels per cell is approximately 4,000. Chloride channels in this conductance range were also seen in single-channel recordings.
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