Recent clinical trials have shown that ivabradine (IVA), a drug that

Recent clinical trials have shown that ivabradine (IVA), a drug that inhibits the funny current (those more negative than the spontaneous diastolic depolarization (DD) between action potentials (APs). (~?60 mV) amplitude was only ?2.90.4 pA/pF, and was reduced by only 416% by IVA. Thus, amplitude and its inhibition by IVA at physiologically relevant membrane potentials are substantially less than that at unphysiological (hyperpolarized) membrane potentials. This novel finding more accurately describes how IVA affects SANC function and is of direct relevance to numerical modeling of SANC automaticity. an inward current activated by hyperpolarization of the cell membrane, is associated with a reduction in heart rate and reduction in morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiovascular diseases. At concentrations that are achieved by approximately clinical doses, IVA in isolated rabbit SANC and has no significant action on other membrane ion channels [4], and Belinostat has no direct effect on myocardial contractility [5]. The relative reduction in by IVA, however, has Dock4 been reported only at hyperpolarized membrane potentials, those more negative to the maximum diastolic potential (MDP), far from the physiological voltages over which can contribute to Belinostat spontaneous diastolic depolarization (DD) of the surface membrane in rabbit SANC [4, 6]. Thus the relative reduction in by IVA over a physiological voltage range is unknown. On the other hand, inhibition of funny-channels by IVA occurs only when they are open [4], when is activated. Since is activated less at physiological potentials than at hyperpolarized (unphysiological) potentials, we hypothesize that the relative blockade of by IVA is voltage dependent, and may be less at physiologically relevant membrane potentials than at hyperpolarized potentials which have previously been studied. If this were the case, it would indeed be of direct relevance to pacemaker cell normal automaticity as it would allow a more precise portrayal of and its inhibition by IVA in numerical models of the coupled-clock system that regulates normal automaticity. We found by measuring AP and ionic currents in single isolated SANC, that the IVA blockade is, indeed, less pronounced at physiological membrane potentials, those encompassing DD (~?60 mV) than at potentials more negative to the MDP. 2. Results 2.1 IVA blocks If in SANC Representative examples of as a function of membrane potential during voltage clamp with and without 3 M IVA are shown in Figure 1A. The average effect of IVA (n=9 for each IVA concentration) on the I-V relationship of peak is shown in Figure 1B. activation was calculated from the peak tail current 5 min after IVA application (at steady state of blockade). tail density, at each membrane potential in control is expressed relative to its maximal value at ?120 mV. The average characteristics in the presence or absence of IVA are summarized in Table 1. On average (Figure 1D) at low concentration (3 M), IVA decreased Belinostat the peak without significantly shifting its activation curve (Table 1), but at higher concentrations of 10 and 30 M, IVA shifted the activation curve, characteristics On average, at V1/2, IVA at 3, 10 and 30 M IVA (n=9 for each concentration) decreased the peak by 496, 684, 7710 percent control, respectively. While the concept of V1/2 is instructive in biophysical terms, V1/2 occurs at an unphysiological membrane potential outside the range over which the membrane potential in rabbit SANC spontaneously cycles (from ?65 to +30mV) during spontaneous AP firing at a rate of ~2.5 Hz. Figure 2A illustrates peak as a function of membrane potential over the entire range of DD where has physiological importance by contributing to pacemaker function. Note that amplitude, even in control is small over this voltage range. Figure 2B shows that activation kinetics, expressed as act, at ?60 mV and V1/2, are smaller at larger IVA concentrations. Figure 2C shows the voltage dependence of the reduction in peak by IVA. Note that peak and comparative IVA inhibition are higher at unphysiological membrane potentials: typically (n=9 for every IVA focus) steady-state blockade (95% period) was attained at ?924, ?895 and ?885 mV with 3, 10 and 30 M IVA, respectively. On the physiological selection of membrane potentials (?60 to ?40 mV) typical reductions in peak were just 34.513, 4613 and 53.56% with 3, 10 and 30 M IVA as opposed to 545.5, 655 and 772% within the unphysiologic membrane potential range with 3, 10 and 30 M IVA, respectively (Amount 2D). Amount 2 Ramifications of IVA on activation and amplitude kinetics in the physiological membrane potential range 2.2 Concentration-dependent stop of ICa,L by IVA in SANC Concentrations of IVA greater than 3 M is.