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hERG Current (herg + current)
Selected AbstractsBlockade of HERG K+ channel by an antihistamine drug brompheniramine requires the channel binding within the S6 residue Y652 and F656JOURNAL OF APPLIED TOXICOLOGY, Issue 2 2008Sang-Joon Park Abstract A number of clinically used drugs block delayed rectifier K+ channels and prolong the duration of cardiac action potentials associated with long QT syndrome. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms of voltage-dependent inhibition of human ether- a-go-go -related gene (HERG) delayed rectifier K+ channels expressed in HEK-293 cells by brompheniramine, an antihistamine. Brompheniramine inhibited HERG current in a concentration-dependent manner with the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value of 1.7 µm at 0 mV. A block of HERG current by brompheniramine was enhanced by progressive membrane depolarization and showed significantly negative shift in voltage-dependence of channel activation. Inhibition of HERG current by brompheniramine showed time-dependence. The S6 residue HERG mutant Y652A and F656C largely reduced the blocking potency of HERG current. These results indicate that brompheniramine mainly inhibited the HERG potassium channel through the residue Y652 and F656 and these residues may be an obligatory determinant in inhibition of HERG current for brompheniramine. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Acidosis Impairs the Protective Role of hERG K+ Channels Against Premature StimulationJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 10 2010B.Sc., CHUN YUN DU M.B. Acidosis and the hERG K+ Channel.,Introduction: Potassium channels encoded by human ether-à-go-go-related gene (hERG) underlie the cardiac rapid delayed rectifier K+ channel current (IKr). Acidosis occurs in a number of pathological situations and modulates a range of ionic currents including IKr. The aim of this study was to characterize effects of extracellular acidosis on hERG current (IhERG), with particular reference to quantifying effects on IhERG elicited by physiological waveforms and upon the protective role afforded by hERG against premature depolarizing stimuli. Methods and Results: IhERG recordings were made from hERG-expressing Chinese Hamster Ovary cells using whole-cell patch-clamp at 37°C. IhERG during action potential (AP) waveforms was rapidly suppressed by reducing external pH from 7.4 to 6.3. Peak repolarizing current and steady state IhERG activation were shifted by ,+6 mV; maximal IhERG conductance was reduced. The voltage-dependence of IhERG inactivation was little-altered. Fast and slow time-constants of IhERG deactivation were smaller across a range of voltages at pH 6.3 than at pH 7.4, and the contribution of fast deactivation increased. A modest acceleration of the time-course of recovery of IhERG from inactivation was observed, but time-course of activation was unaffected. The amplitude of outward IhERG transients elicited by premature stimuli following an AP command was significantly decreased at lower pH. Computer simulations showed that after AP repolarization a subthreshold stimulus at pH 7.4 could evoke an AP at pH 6.3. Conclusion: During acidosis the contribution of IhERG to action potential repolarization is reduced and hERG may be less effective in counteracting proarrhythmogenic depolarizing stimuli. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 21, pp. 1160-1169) [source] Cyamemazine metabolites: effects on human cardiac ion channels in-vitro and on the QTc interval in guinea pigsJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 11 2008William Crumb Monodesmethyl cyamemazine and cyamemazine sulfoxide, the two main metabolites of the antipsychotic and anxiolytic phenothiazine cyamemazine, were investigated for their effects on the human ether-à-go-go related gene (hERG) channel expressed in HEK 293 cells and on native INa, ICa, Ito, Isus or IK1 of human atrial myocytes. Additionally, cyamemazine metabolites were compared with terfenadine for their effects on the QT interval in anaesthetized guinea pigs. Monodesmethyl cyamemazine and cyamemazine sulfoxide reduced hERG current amplitude, with IC50 values of 0.70 and 1.53 ,M, respectively. By contrast, at a concentration of 1 ,M, cyamemazine metabolites failed to significantly affect INa, Ito, Isus or IK1 current amplitudes. Cyamemazine sulfoxide had no effect on ICa at 1 ,M, while at this concentration, monodesmethyl cyamemazine only slightly (17%), albeit significantly, inhibited ICa current. Finally, cyamemazine metabolites (5 mg kg,1 i.v.) were unable to significantly prolong QTc values in the guinea pig. Conversely, terfenadine (5 mg kg,1 i.v.) significantly increased QTc values. In conclusion, cyamemazine metabolite concentrations required to inhibit hERG current substantially exceed those necessary to achieve therapeutic activity of the parent compound in humans. Moreover, cyamemazine metabolites, in contrast to terfenadine, do not delay cardiac repolarization in the anaesthetized guinea pig. These non-clinical findings explain the excellent cardiac safety records of cyamemazine during its 30 years of extensive therapeutic use. [source] SYMPOSIUM REVIEW: Revealing the structural basis of action of hERG potassium channel activators and blockersTHE JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY, Issue 17 2010Matthew Perry Human ether-á-go-go related gene (hERG) potassium (K+) channels play a critical role in cardiac action potential repolarization. This is due, in large part, to the unique gating properties of these channels, which are characterized by relatively slow activation and an unusually fast and voltage-dependent inactivation. A large number of structurally diverse compounds bind to hERG and carry an unacceptably high risk of causing arrhythmias. On the other hand, drugs that increase hERG current may, at least in principle, prove useful for treatment of long QT syndrome. A few blockers have been shown to increase hERG current at potentials close to the threshold for channel activation , a process referred to as facilitation. More recently, a novel group of hERG channel activators have been identified that slow deactivation and/or attenuate inactivation. Structural determinants for the action of two different types of activators have been identified. These compounds bind at sites that are distinct from each other and also separate from the binding site of high affinity blockers. They reveal not only novel ways of chemically manipulating hERG channel function, but also interactions between structural domains that are critical to normal activation and inactivation gating. [source] Electrophysiological Effects of the Anti-Cancer Drug Lapatinib on Cardiac RepolarizationBASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 1 2010Hyang-Ae Lee Although lapatinib is associated with a risk of QT prolongation, the effects of the drug on cellular cardiac electrical properties and on action potential duration (APD) have not been studied. To evaluate the potential effects of lapatinib on cardiac repolarization, we investigated its electrophysiological effects using a whole-cell patch,clamp technique in transiently transfected HEK293 cells expressing human ether-à-go-go (hERG; to examine the rapidly activating delayed rectifier K+ current, IKr), KCNQ1/KCNE1 (to examine the slowly activating delayed rectifier K+ current, IKs), KCNJ2 (to examine the inwardly rectifying K+ current, IK1), or SCN5A (to examine the inward Na+ current, INa) and in rat cardiac myocytes (to examine the inward Ca2+ current, ICa). We also examined its effects on the APD at 90% (APD90) in isolated rabbit Purkinje fibres. In ion channel studies, lapatinib inhibited the hERG current in a concentration-dependent manner, with a half-maximum inhibition concentration (IC50) of 0.8 ± 0.09 ,m. In contrast, at concentrations up to 3 ,m, lapatinib did not significantly reduce the INa, IK1 or ICa amplitudes; at 3 ,m, it did slightly inhibit the IKs amplitude (by 19.4 ± 4.7%; p < 0.05). At 5 ,m, lapatinib induced prolongation of APD90 by 16.1% (p < 0.05). These results suggest that the APD90 -prolonging effect of lapatinib on rabbit Purkinje fibres is primarily a result of inhibition of the hERG current and IKs, but not INa, IK1 or ICa. [source] Comparative Pharmacology of Guinea Pig Cardiac Myocyte and Cloned hERG (IKr) ChannelJOURNAL OF CARDIOVASCULAR ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY, Issue 11 2004CHRISTINA DAVIE Ph.D. Introduction: This study used whole-cell, patch clamp techniques on isolated guinea pig ventricular myocytes and HEK293 cells expressing cloned human ether-a-go-go-related gene (hERG) to examine the action of drugs causing QT interval prolongation and torsades de pointes (TdP) in man. Similarities and important differences in drug actions on cardiac myocytes and cloned hERG IKr channels were established. Qualitative actions of the drugs on cardiac myocytes corresponded with results obtained from Purkinje fibers and measurement of QT interval prolongation in animal and human telemetry studies. Methods and Results: Adult guinea pig ventricular myocytes were isolated by enzymatic digestion. Cells were continuously perfused with Tyrode's solution at 33,35°C. Recordings were made using the whole-cell, patch clamp technique. Action potentials (APs) were elicited under current clamp. Voltage clamp was used to study the effect of drugs on IKr (rapidly activating delayed rectifier potassium current), INa (sodium current), and ICa (L-type calcium current). Dofetilide increased the myocyte action potential duration (APD) in a concentration-dependent manner, with a pIC50 of 7.3. Dofetilide 1 ,M elicited early afterdepolarizations (EADs) but had little affect on ICa or INa. E-4031 increased APD in a concentration-dependent manner, with a pIC50 of 7.2. In contrast, 10 ,M loratadine, desloratadine, and cetirizine had little effect on APD or IKr. Interestingly, cisapride displayed a biphasic effect on myocyte APD and inhibited ICa at 1 ,M. Even at this high concentration, cisapride did not elicit EADs. A number of AstraZeneca compounds were tested on cardiac myocytes, revealing a mixture of drug actions that were not observed in hERG currents in HEK293 cells. One compound, particularly AR-C0X, was a potent blocker of myocyte AP (pIC50 of 8.4). AR-C0X also elicited EADs in cardiac myocytes. The potencies of the same set of drugs on the cloned hERG channel also were assessed. The pIC50 values for dofetilide, E-4031, terfenadine, loratadine, desloratadine, and cetirizine were 6.8, 7.1, 7.3, 5.1, 5.2, and <4, respectively. Elevation of temperature from 22 to 35°C significantly enhanced the current kinetics and amplitudes of hERG currents and resulted in approximately fivefold increase in E-4031 potency. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates the advantages of cardiac myocytes over heterologously expressed hERG channels in predicting QT interval prolongation and TdP in man. The potencies of some drugs in cardiac myocytes were similar to hERG, but only myocytes were able to detect important changes in APD characteristics and display EADs predictive of arrhythmia development. We observed similar qualitative drug profiles in cardiac myocytes, dog Purkinje fibers, and animal and human telemetry studies. Therefore, isolated native cardiac myocytes are a better predictor of drug-induced QT prolongation and TdP than heterologously expressed hERG channels. Isolated cardiac myocytes, when used with high-throughput patch clamp instruments, may have an important role in screening potential cardiotoxic compounds in the early phase of drug discovery. This would significantly reduce the attrition rate of drugs entering preclinical and/or clinical development. The current kinetics and amplitudes of the cloned hERG channel were profoundly affected by temperature, significantly altering the potency of one drug (E-4031). This finding cautions against routine drug testing at room temperature compared to physiologic temperature when using the cloned hERG channel. [source] |