Fig. 6

Absence of dysferlin promotes elevated connexin-based hemichannel activity in human myotubes. Human dysferlin-mutated myotubes and control myotubes transfected with small hairpin RNA against Dysferlin (R-sh dysf) were used to evaluate connexin hemichannel activity using the ethidium (Etd⁺) uptake assay. Briefly, a Representative curve of Etd⁺ uptake in myotubes differentiated from 107 myoblast cell line. Notice the enhanced uptake after incubation in a divalent cation free solution (DCFS), condition that induces opening of Cx HCs. The signals were inhibited by 50 μM carbenoxolone, a Cx HC blocker. b Graph showing the fold variation between the DCFS-induced slope versus basal slope (Fold of basal). * P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001. n = 4 cell cultures for each cell line