Figure 3.

Responses of human carotid body (CB) glomus cells to low glucose and hypoxia. (A) Depolarizing receptor potential recorded in a current-clamped human glomus cell in response to glucopenia. (B) Reversible increase in cytosolic Ca²⁺ in a Fura-2-loaded glomus cell exposed to 0 glucose. (C) Average secretion rate induced by hypoglycemia (n = 2). (D) Secretory response to 0 glucose of glomus cells in CB slices and the potentiation of the 0 glucose-induced secretory response by mild hypoxia (6% O₂) as demonstrated by a representative amperometric recording (top) and cumulative secretion signal (bottom). (E) Representative recording of a reversible increase of cytosolic Ca²⁺ in a Fura-2-loaded glomus cell, demonstrating the potentiation of the hypoxic-response by hypoglycemia. Modified from Ortega-Saenz et al. (2013).