- Lozano-Gerona, Javier;
- Oliván-Viguera, Aida;
- Delgado-Wicke, Pablo;
- Singh, Vikrant;
- Brown, Brandon M;
- Tapia-Casellas, Elena;
- Pueyo, Esther;
- Valero, Marta Sofía;
- Garcia-Otín, Ángel-Luis;
- Giraldo, Pilar;
- Abarca-Lachen, Edgar;
- Surra, Joaquín C;
- Osada, Jesús;
- Hamilton, Kirk L;
- Raychaudhuri, Siba P;
- Marigil, Miguel;
- Juarranz, Ángeles;
- Wulff, Heike;
- Miura, Hiroto;
- Gilaberte, Yolanda;
- Köhler, Ralf
- Editor(s): Simon, Michel
Ion channels have recently attracted attention as potential mediators of skin disease. Here, we explored the consequences of genetically encoded induction of the cell volume-regulating Ca2+-activated KCa3.1 channel (Kcnn4) for murine epidermal homeostasis. Doxycycline-treated mice harboring the KCa3.1+-transgene under the control of the reverse tetracycline-sensitive transactivator (rtTA) showed 800-fold channel overexpression above basal levels in the skin and solid KCa3.1-currents in keratinocytes. This overexpression resulted in epidermal spongiosis, progressive epidermal hyperplasia and hyperkeratosis, itch and ulcers. The condition was accompanied by production of the pro-proliferative and pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-β1 (60-fold), IL-6 (33-fold), and TNFα (26-fold) in the skin. Treatment of mice with the KCa3.1-selective blocker, Senicapoc, significantly suppressed spongiosis and hyperplasia, as well as induction of IL-β1 (-88%) and IL-6 (-90%). In conclusion, KCa3.1-induction in the epidermis caused expression of pro-proliferative cytokines leading to spongiosis, hyperplasia and hyperkeratosis. This skin condition resembles pathological features of eczematous dermatitis and identifies KCa3.1 as a regulator of epidermal homeostasis and spongiosis, and as a potential therapeutic target.