Effect of isosorbiddinitrate on exogenously expressed slowly activating K+ channels and endogenous K+ channels in...

1. The effects of isosorbiddinitrate (ISDN) were tested on membrane currents and resting potential in Xenopus laevis oocytes which were either uninjected or injected with cRNA encoding for K+ channels from three distinct families (slowly activating IsK channels, delayed-rectifying Kv1.1 or inwardly rectifying IRK1 K+ channels). 2. In uninjected oocytes ISDN (1 mM) resulted in a decrease of the holding current at potentials more positive than -100 mV and in an increase at potentials below -100 mV. Increasing extracellular K+ to 100 mM shifted the reversal potential for ISDN-mediated effects to approximately -12 mV, suggesting an inhibition of a K+ conductance by ISDN. 3. In current clamp studies ISDN (1 mM) and Ba2+ (3 mM) depolarized cell membrane. ISDN and Ba2+ had no additive effects on membrane potential when applied simultaneously. In voltage clamp studies, corresponding results were observed for the effects of ISDN and Ba2+ on the holding current with an apparent K(m) of 0.21 and 0.08 mM, respectively. 4. In contrast to ISDN, the nitric oxide (NO) donors isosorbidmononitrate (ISMN) and S-nitrosocysteine (SNOC) had no effects on the holding currents in Xenopus oocytes. Moreover, the guanylate inhibitor LY 83583 did not affect ISDN-mediated holding current alterations, suggesting that ISDN acts independently of the second messenger NO. 5. ISDN inhibited exogenously expressed IsK channels with an apparent K(m) of 0.15 mM, but at 1 mM only weakly inhibited Kv1.1 and IRK1 channels. 6. It is concluded that ISDN inhibits an endogenous K+ conductance in Xenopus oocytes with a similar potency to that shown by expressed IsK channels. These effects are independent of the second messenger NO.