Artemisinin inhibits cation currents in malaria-infected human erythrocytes.
BACKGROUND
Previous patch-clamp studies have demonstrated inwardly and outwardly rectifying anion currents, ClC-2 Cl- currents, and nonselective Ca(++)-permeable cation currents in Plasmodium falciparum-infected human erythrocytes.


METHODS
The current work studied the effect of the potent antimalarial drug artemisinin on the P falciparum infection-induced whole cell currents in human erythrocyte.


RESULTS
Artemisinin had no significant effect on the outwardly rectifying anion currents but inhibited the cation-selective currents with an apparent half-maximal inhibitory concentration of < or =10 micromol/L.


CONCLUSIONS
Because artemisinin reportedly inhibits the asexual parasite amplification with much higher potency, the antimalarial action of the drug cannot be attributed to the artemisinin effect on the cation currents. However, artemisinin may be used as a pharmacologic tool to dissect different current fractions in P falciparum-infected erythrocytes.
Duranton
Christophe
C
Department of Physiology, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tübingen, Germany.
Akkaya
Canan
C
Brand
Verena B
VB
Tanneur
Valerie
V
Lang
Florian
F
Huber
Stephan M
SM
D000818:Animals; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000008:administration & dosage; D037621:Artemisinins / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002412:Cations; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000469:parasitology* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D015640:Ion Channel Gating / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008564:Membrane Potentials / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D012717:Sesquiterpenes / Q000008:administration & dosage*
D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D002412:Cations; D007473:Ion Channels; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C031327:artemisinin