title: Transcainide causes two modes of open-channel block with different voltage sensitivities in batrachotoxin-activated sodium channels.
abstract: Transcainide, a complex derivative of lidocaine, blocks the open state of BTX-activated sodium channels from bovine heart and rat skeletal muscle in two distinct ways. When applied to either side of the membrane, transcainide caused discrete blocking events a few hundred milliseconds in duration (slow block), and a concomitant reduction in apparent single-channel amplitude, presumably because of rapid block beyond the temporal resolution of our recordings (fast block). We quantitatively analyzed block from the cytoplasmic side. Both modes of block occurred via binding of the drug to the open channel, approximately followed 1:1 stoichiometry, and were similar for both channel subtypes. For slow block, the blocking rate increased, and the unblocking rate decreased with depolarization, yielding an overall enhancement of block at positive potentials, and suggesting a blocking site at an apparent electrical distance about 45% of the way from the cytoplasmic end of the channel (z delta approximately 0.45). In contrast, the fast blocking mode was only slightly enhanced by depolarization (z delta approximately 0.15). Phenomenologically, the bulky and complex transcainide molecule combines the almost voltage-insensitive blocking action of phenylhydrazine (Zamponi and French, 1994a (companion paper)) with a slow open-channel blocking action that shows a voltage dependence typical of simpler amines. Only the slower blocking mode was sensitive to the removal of external sodium ions, suggesting that the two types of block occur at distinct sites. Dose-response relations were also consistent with independent binding of transcainide to two separate sites on the channel.
authors: Department of Medical Physiology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
authors: G W
authors: GW
authors: Zamponi
authors: R J
authors: RJ
authors: French
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D001496:Batrachotoxins / Q000494:pharmacology; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D001703:Biophysics; D002417:Cattle; D004563:Electrochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007700:Kinetics; D008012:Lidocaine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008564:Membrane Potentials; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000378:metabolism; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D012964:Sodium / Q000494:pharmacology; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014700:Verapamil / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000889:Anti-Arrhythmia Agents; D001496:Batrachotoxins; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers; D015222:Sodium Channels; C052070:transcainide; D008012:Lidocaine; D012964:Sodium; D014700:Verapamil