Voltage‐gated sodium channels contribute to action potentials and spontaneous contractility in isolated human lymphatic vessels

Initial studies have described the electrical properties of lymphatic smooth muscle cells from different animal species and the ion channels contributing to these properties. However, there is a translational gap to the human situation where studies on human tissue are lacking. Voltage‐gated sodium channels are essential for the generation of action potentials, and thus spontaneous contractions in human lymphatic vessels, but not noradrenaline‐induced contractions. A sodium channel opener elicited contractions as a result of calcium influx via voltage‐gated calcium channels and the sodium–calcium exchanger. Pharmacological characterization and the mRNA expression profile indicate that Nav1.3 is the most prevalent sodium channel. These results provide support for an important role of sodium channels in spontaneous human lymphatic vessel electrical activity and contractility.