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Artemisinin blocks activating and slowly activating K+ current in guinea pig ventricular myocytes
1Department of Pharmacology, Harbin Medical University, China. Yangbf@Ems.hrbmu.edu.cn
Aim:
To study the effect of artemisinin (Art) on outward rectifier potassium current in ventricular myocytes.
Methods:
In isolated guinea pig ventricular myocytes, the effects of Art on the two components of delayed outward rectifier K+ current (IK), the rapidly activating inward K+ current (IKr), and the slowly rectifying outward K+ current (IKs) were observed by the whole cell patch-clamp technique.
Results:
Art decreased IK in a concentration-dependent manner. The IKstep and IKtail were reduced from 387 +/- 46 pA to 240 +/- 48 pA and from 299 +/- 30 pA to 130 +/- 38 pA, respectively at holding potential of +40 mV by Art 50 mumol.L-1. The envelope of tail analysis suggested that both IKr and IKs were inhibited.
Conclusion:
Art blocked the two components of delayed outward rectifier K+ current (IKr and IKs) in guinea pig ventricular cells.