A direct role of sodium channels in pain has recently been confirmed by establishing a monogenic link between SCN9A, the gene which encodes sodium channel Nav1.7, and pain disorders in humans, with gain-of-function mutations causing severe pain syndromes, and loss-of-function mutations causing congenital indifference to pain. Expression of sodium channel Nav1.8 in DRG neurons has also been shown to be essential for the manifestation of mutant Nav1.7-induced neuronal hyperexcitability. These findings have confirmed key roles of Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 in pain and identify these channels as novel targets for pain therapeutic development. Ranolazine preferentially blocks cardiac late sodium currents at concentrations that do not significantly reduce peak sodium current. Ranolazine also blocks wild-type Nav1.7 and Nav1.8 channels in a use-dependent manner. However, ranolazine's effects on gain-of-function mutations of Nav1.7 and on DRG neuron excitability have not been investigated. We used voltage- and current-clamp recordings to evaluate the hypothesis that ranolazine may be effective in regulating Nav1.7-induced DRG neuron hyperexcitability.
Pubmed ID: 20529343 RIS Download
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Software suite for electrophysiology data acquisition and analysis by Molecular Devices. Used for the control and recording of voltage clamp, current clamp, and patch clamp experiments. The software suite consists of Clampex 11 Software for data acquisition, AxoScope 11 Software for background recording, Clampfit 11 Software for data analysis, and optional Clampfit Advanced Analysis Module for sophisticated and streamlined analysis.
View all literature mentionsCell line HEK293 is a Transformed cell line with a species of origin Homo sapiens (Human)
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