title: Artemisinin inhibits cation currents in malaria-infected human erythrocytes.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Eberhard-Karls-University, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duranton
authors.forename: Canan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Akkaya
authors.forename: Verena B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Brand
authors.forename: Valerie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tanneur
authors.forename: Florian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: Stephan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Huber
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D037621:Artemisinins; D002412:Cations; D007473:Ion Channels; D012717:Sesquiterpenes; C031327:artemisinin