title: Ruthenium red as an effective blocker of calcium and sodium currents in guinea-pig isolated ventricular heart cells.
abstract: 1. The effect of ruthenium red on calcium and sodium currents was studied in guinea-pig isolated ventricular heart cells with the whole cell patch-clamp technique. 2. Ruthenium red very efficiently blocked the L-type calcium current in a dose-dependent manner. A significant block was observed for concentrations as low as 0.3 microM. Analysis of the dose-response curve with the logistic equation indicated an EC50 of 0.8 microM, a maximum inhibition of 85% reached at 5 microM, and a coefficient of 2.37. 3. There was no shift in the voltage-dependence of the Ca current activation, nor in that of its steady-state inactivation determined with a 1 s prepulse. However, removal of Ca current inactivation at positive voltage was considerably reduced in the presence of concentrations of ruthenium red above 1 microM. A slowing of the time-course of inactivation of the Ca current was also observed. 4. At 10 microM, a concentration generally used to block the sarcoplasmic Ca release channels or the mitochondrial Ca uptake, ruthenium red blocked 26.7+/-4.3% (n=8) of the sodium current, and slowed its inactivation time-course. No effect was observed on the voltage-dependence of the current activation or inactivation. The peak sodium current was also decreased at a 10 times lower concentration by 7.6+/-2.7% (n=3). 5. Thus, at concentrations used to assess intracellular Ca movements, ruthenium red induced in heart cells a significant block of both Ca and Na channels.
authors.affiliation: Physiologie des Cellules Cardiaques et Vasculaires, CNRS UMR 6542, Faculté des Sciences, Tours, France.
authors.forename: C O
authors.initials: CO
authors.lastname: Malécot
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bito
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Argibay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006321:Heart / Q000187:drug effects*; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D009206:Myocardium / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018408:Patch-Clamp Techniques; D012430:Ruthenium Red / Q000494:pharmacology*; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers
chemical_list: D002121:Calcium Channel Blockers; D026941:Sodium Channel Blockers; D012430:Ruthenium Red