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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2012 Jan 1.
Published in final edited form as: Acta Neurochir Suppl. 2011;110(Pt 1):145–150. doi: 10.1007/978-3-7091-0353-1_25

Figure 3. Summary cartoon.

Figure 3

In control cerebral artery myocytes, local Ca2+ release events from the sarcoplasmic reticulum (Ca2+ sparks) activate large conductance Ca2+ activated (BK) K+ channels, causing membrane potential hyperpolarization, decreased voltage-dependent Ca2+ channel (VDCC) activity and decreased global cytosolic Ca2+. Following SAH, the frequency of Ca2+ sparks and therefore BK channel activity is decreased, promoting membrane potential depolarization, increased VDCC activity and increased global cytosolic Ca2+ levels.