LAUSR

Background: Ion channels are pharmacological targets for antiarrhythmic action, and drugs currently used for this purpose are generally not specific to a site of action and may act on several channels and even trigger proarrhythmic phenomena. Trisulfate disaccharide (TD) is an heparin fragment known to act on the sodium calcium exchanger (NCX), reducing intracellular calcium in overload situations and reversing arrhytmias, but its action on other ionic currents is unknown. Objective: To evaluate by patch clamp the action of TD at different concentrations in NCX and ionic currents in situations of intracellular calcium overload. Materials and Methods: Adult rat myocytes were obtained from a sample from ventricles. Currents were measured using the whole-cell variant of the patch clamp method. Creation of voltage clamp pulses and data acquisition was controlled by a computer with pClamp software. Peak inward current amplitude was measured for ion currents. For Na/Ca exchange current a ramp voltage protocol was employed. Three different concentrations of Cai (300nM, 400nM and 600nM) were used in separate experiments. One drug concentration was applied per cell (10, 30 and 100 micromolar each). The current sensitive to 5mM nickel was taken as the Na/Ca exchange current. The effects of TD on the INa, L-type Ca, and the potassium currents, transiente outward current (Ito), inwardly rectifying potassium current (IK1), and sustained current (Isus) recorded from adult rat ventricular myocytes were also examined in the same conditions. Results: TD concentration-dependently increased the inward Na/Ca exchange current in all intracellular calcium concentration. The effects of TD on the INa, L-type Ca, and the potassium currents, Ito, IK1 and Isus was associated with less than 30% mean reduction on any current at the highest concentration of TD tested (100 micromolar) and still below the positive block controls for different channels that is above 40% block. Conclusion: TD acts on NCX under different concentrations used, without affecting other ionic currents, suggesting specificity in the mechanism of action and possibly not exerting a pro-arrhythmic activity, this effect being desirable for its possible use in reversal of cardiac arrhythmias.