title: Thyroid hormone modulates membrane currents in guinea-pig ventricular myocytes.
abstract: Thyroid hormones have been previously shown to alter cardiac electrophysiological and mechanical properties in humans and in experimental animals. To investigate electrophysiological mechanisms responsible for some of these alterations, we recorded action potentials and membrane currents from isolated ventricular myocytes obtained from euthyroid, hypothyroid and hyperthyroid guinea-pigs. Hyperthyroidism was induced by injecting 150 micrograms/kg triiodothyronine for 8-11 days, and hypothyroidism was induced by propylthiouracil treatment for 35-45 days. We found that the slow inward current, was increased by hyperthyroidism and decreased by hypothyroidism: in euthyroid, hyperthyroid and hypothyroid myocytes peak slow inward current was (mean +/- SEM): -1.08 +/- 0.06 nA, -1.83 +/- 0.18a nA and -0.64 +/- 0.07a nA, respectively (a, p less than 0.005). In addition, the membrane potential at which peak slow inward current occurred was modified by the thyroid state and in euthyroid, hyperthyroid and hypothyroid myocytes it was (mean +/- SEM): 4.8 +/- 0.7 mV, -1.8 +/- 1.6a mV and 11.0 +/- 1.4a mV, respectively. The outward rectifying current, was also affected by the thyroid state, and in euthyroid, hyperthyroid and hypothyroid myocytes, the amplitude at VM = +60 mV was (mean +/- SEM): 0.51 +/- 0.09 nA, 1.15 +/- 0.08a nA and 0.49 +/- 0.05 nA, respectively. a, p less than 0.001 compared to euthyroid myocytes. Intraperitoneal administration of a single dose of triiodothyronine to guinea-pigs, 2 h prior to the electrophysiological experiment, increased the slow inward current amplitude, as was seen with chronic hyperthyroidism, but had no significant effect on the outward current and on the action potential.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Rappaport Family Institute for Research in the Medical Sciences, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Rubinstein
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Binah
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000187:drug effects; D000818:Animals; D004594:Electrophysiology; D005260:Female; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000502:physiology*; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D014284:Triiodothyronine