SHPK and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: To reveal the actual involvement of the channels in the pathogenesis of COPD, selective inhibitors of the channels, such as margatoxin, ShK, Psora-4 or PAP-1 [13, 32–35], could therapeutically administered to the animals and quantify the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the airways or alveolar parenchyma.